31 July 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

Each year the Department of Education and Training conducts the state-wide School Opinion Survey process. This year the surveys will be conducted between 31 July to 25 August 2017. All families, school staff and a random sample of students will be invited to participate. We encourage you to take this opportunity to have your say about what we do well at PBC, and how we can further improve.

Access details for the Parent/Caregiver Survey will be emailed home to families early next week.

Parents/caregivers are welcome to complete their survey online at the school. If you would like to arrange an appointment or have any queries or requests for translations can be directed to Kate Issever on telephone 07 5525 9333 or email kisse3@eq.edu.au.

NAPLAN Results

At the beginning of this term the 2017 National Assessment Program (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 to a student’s future success 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.

Please be aware that schools will receive individual student NAPLAN reports in the coming weeks. Once these have arrived at our school we will arrange for them to be distributed to parents/caregivers.

I would like to congratulate the staff and students for their commitment to learning and for those interested, these results will be discussed in detail at the next P&C meeting on Tuesday 15 August.

Upcoming Events

One of the most exciting components of life at PBC is our school’s involvement in many high level creative arts productions and sporting competitions. Term 3 is the culmination of many hours of dedication and practice from our students and teachers. I would like to thank our teachers who do an amazing job in mentoring our young athletes and performers in their areas of passion. Some of the upcoming Term 3 state level events that I speak of include:

• QLD Drama Festival – July/August
• Gold Coast Eisteddfod Mon 15 – Thu 17 August
• State finals for Rugby League, Netball, Basketball, Track and AFL.

Blair Hanna
Acting Executive Principal

Senior School Update

Senior School Newsletter

In Term 3 we have launched our schoolwide Travel Safety Awareness Campaign in coalition with other local schools and local police to positively encourage all students to be aware of their surroundings and travel safely to and from school each day. Students and parents will be seeing an increase in messaging and a focus on this area to reward those students who are exhibiting safe behaviours and to encourage those across our student body.

Focus will be on bike safety, including conduct across our busy crossings and helmet compliance. As well as this, awareness regarding safe travel on buses and in private vehicles will be promoted – encouraging students to adapt our OPTIMA pillar of being safe into the outside community.

We look forward to working with students and the local community in delivering this important message

Careers Day

Our annual Careers Day will be conducted on Friday 4 August (9:00am to 12:00pm) in the school Hall. A range of tertiary institutions, training organisations and industry representatives including the Defence Force will be on hand to offer advice to students. All students in Years 10, 11 and 12 will have timetabled sessions to attend. Students and parents can visit stalls together during morning tea from 11:30am. Please encourage your student to actively engage in this day and collect relevant information regarding their post school pathways.

Year 10 & 11 Opportunities

Year 10 and 11 students are again encouraged to consider completing a School Based Traineeship (SATs) as this will give students part time work and work skills, up to 8 QCE points and a rank pathway which may open up tertiary options. Any interested students should register with Ms Shreeve in Y block. As SATs take over a year to complete any Year 11s that are interested must commence their SAT by the end of Term 3.

Senior students also have the opportunity to complete a range of Microsoft qualifications during Sport in Semester 2. Each of the qualifications is awarded a QCE point; but more importantly will add to the resume of students and improve their employability. Each qualification costs around $400 in the private sector but is currently FREE for school students. Interested students should contact Mr Larter or Mr McDougall.

The Year 11 QCS preparation program will commence in Term 4 at 8:00am on Wednesday mornings. All OP eligible students will need to attend these sessions.

Graduation and Formal 2017

The Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and Formal Dinner Ceremony will be held at Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach on Thursday 16 November 2017. This evening is an exciting event for students, parents and PBC staff to celebrate the achievements of our graduating cohort.

The format for the evening will be:

Ticket costs/person:

$110.00

Year 12 students (Dinner and Ceremony)
Students are required to pay a minimum deposit of $50.00 by 14 August with the complete balance to be paid by 11 September.

$ 15.00

Parents, friends and relatives (Ceremony – max 6 guest tickets per student). These will not be available until Term 4.

Please note that payments are non-refundable.

This is an invitation only event and invitations are issued based on:

1. Student attendance complying with Education Queensland requirements
2. Student behaviour complying with the school’s behaviour management policy;
3. Completion and submission of all assessment items;
4. Full payment of all outstanding school fees;
5. Compliance with a formal dress code.

We look forward to the event and saying farewell to the Senior Cohort of 2017.

General Year 12 Notices

• Year 12 Students are again reminded to ensure that they log onto the QCAA student connect website to ensure that their details, particularly address, is correct. This is important because it is the QCAA not the school which will issue the QCE and OPs in December. Any errors please see Ms Ashby in Y block.

• 12 QCS classes continue to commence at 8:00am on Wednesday morning. All 12 QCS students will have compulsory afterschool Masterclasses from 2:00pm to 3:30pm on Wednesdays in Week 4, 5 and 6 of this term (2, 9 and 16 August). The actual QCS test will take place in week 8 (29 and 30 August). Students are reminded that they will need a scientific calculator without storage capacity for the test. All other stationery will be provided by the school, with the exception of white out.
• All Year 12 students interested in tertiary study should by now have a QTAC book to enable them to peruse courses. Extra copies are available with the Guidance Officer Mr Jones or Mr McDougall.
• Assessment calendars for Term 3 have been published on the school website under Curriculum/Testing AND Assessment. These calendars should be used by parents and students to help plan and prioritise their study timetables for Term 3.

• Year 12 students and parents are again reminded that it is student’s final level of achievement at the end of year 12 which is used to determine QCEs and OPs. Students need to remain focussed on their classes and studies until the end of November.

Alyce Cleary, Acting Head of School – Senior
On behalf of the Senior School

Middle School Update

PBC has a rich culture of high expectations to optimise student wellbeing and learning. During Semester 2 the Optima team focus will continue to monitor Attendance, Effort and Behaviour, Achievement and Wellbeing for our Year 7 to 9 students. Students that feel safe and valued and have a sense of belonging at PBC can begin to develop healthy relationships within the school and wider community. This leads to greater self-esteem and improved learning outcomes for our students. The House and CARE system has embedded multiple opportunities for students in Middle School to ‘be their best self’ and celebrate success.

Year Level Assemblies

The Week 3 Year level assemblies gave the Optima team an opportunity to meet with students to reiterate the non-negotiables including ‘Hands off, feet off’, ‘Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be a Learner’ and cybersafety tips. Any student should allow parents to view their phone at any time. We advise students to google their name and block any unwanted contacts.

Maximising Learning at PBC

At PBC, we encourage all students to achieve their best, whatever their ‘best’ might be. Students are urged to apply the following techniques across all their subjects:

• Set a goal for each subject
  Use the OPTIMA planner in your diary and know what you are aiming for this term
• Know what is required
  Understand what your assessment tasks require and the criteria by which you will be assessed. Focus on these in your work.
• Manage your time
  Know your due dates and be sure your family knows them too. Break big tasks into smaller tasks, such as researching an assignment, writing a draft or reviewing the notes of a section of a course. Set yourself regular deadlines.
• When you need help, seek it out
  There is so much help available in Middle School at PBC, from individual assistance from the teacher, to Tuesday Tutorials, to peer mentoring. Don’t settle at ‘I don’t get it’ – find help until you do!
• Follow up
  Review your notes,write down your questions, do your homework, read around a topic. Such strategies will help improve your factual recall and your understanding.

Assessment Calendar Published

The Term 3 Assessment Calendar has now been emailed to all parents and published on the PBC Website. Use the drop down menus to go to Curriculum/Testing and Assessment and open the relevant calendar on the right hand side of the screen. In Assemblies, students have been told how to access this information and use it to fill out the Forward Planner in their diaries with their assessment dates. Students should make a copy of it to be displayed on the fridge or another public place at home, so families are aware of their commitments. Please support your Middle School students to develop good habits and be an active part of our learning community.

Selection Of 2018 Middle School Student Leaders

From Week 4, we will begin the process of selecting next year’s Middle School Head Prefects. These students, chosen from the current Year 8 cohort, will prepare for their roles by participating in training in Term 4.

Next year, they will represent the Middle School at public events and Parent Evenings and serve as a voice of the Year 7s, 8s and 9s on their House Council and the Middle School Council. They will run fundraising and community building events and constantly seek ways to improve the school for our students.

If your Year 8 child is confident, reliable and enjoys leadership opportunities, please encourage them to stay tuned for information in the daily Student Notices, ‘put their hand up’ when asked and complete an application form. Shortlisted students will be interviewed later in the term and the 2018 Middle School Head Prefects will be presented at the Term 4 OPTIMA Awards.

Tuesday Tutoring

Each week on Tuesday at 3:15pm, up to fifty enthusiastic Middle School students meet with teachers and their peers in the PBC Library for tutoring. Teachers volunteer their time to assist, answer questions and provide encouragement. Students also have access to laptops, books and other resources for research during this time. For many students, Tuesday Tutoring is part of their weekly learning routine.

If your child could benefit from Tuesday Tutoring, please have them come along. They simply need to bring their homework or assignments with them.

Bike Safety

Bike safety at PBC is a priority this term with Road Safety Week in Week 7. We have collaborated with the local police, Elanora State High and The Pines to promote the compliance of wearing helmets when riding a bike in the local community. The Pines Telstra has donated an iPhone 7 as the major prize to be won by a student compliant with helmet safety. Police will also give notices to students not wearing helmets.

It is important that students riding to and from PBC should rack their bike with a padlock within the Middle School N block bike area as there is CCTV footage monitoring this area. If students park their bike outside of the school either at the fence or council bike racks they do so at their own risk.

Term 3 Care Program: Gratitude

In CARE classes, students have been reflecting on Gratitude. They have recently explored the benefits of showing gratitude and how it is linked to happiness and optimal wellbeing.

Parents may not always feel that their young people are grateful for the people closest to them. Yet, when one Middle School class was asked to nominate the single thing they were most grateful for in their lives, they overwhelmingly (and without prompting) chose ‘family’.

Optima Awards – Recipients

Congratulations goes to all students that received an Optima Award at last week’s assemblies. Click the links to see each Year cohort’s recipients for Term 2.

Anita Sgalippa, Head of School – Middle
On behalf of the Middle School

Middle School Guidance Officer News

Anna Willis
Guidance Officer Middle School

House and CARE Update

Abbey Bryant, Krista I’Anson, Mitch Kennedy & Tim Hart
House Leaders

Gratitude

In Term 3 CARE classes will be exploring the theories of Gratitude, Relative Privilege and Benefit Mindset and how these are connected to wellbeing and happiness.

What is Gratitude?

Most of us associate gratitude with saying “thank you” to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. Gratitude is more than this and is seen as the act of acknowledging and being grateful for what we receive and being motivated to give back out of this. Gratitude does not become complete without our expressing of it, by showing our gratitude in action. Positive psychologists contend that gratitude is more than feeling thankful for something, it is more like a deeper appreciation for someone (or something,) which produces longer lasting positivity.

The Benefits of Gratitude

Gratitude is an emotion of expressing appreciation for what one has—as opposed to, for example, a consumer-driven emphasis on what one wants. Studies show that we can deliberately cultivate gratitude, and can increase our well-being and happiness by doing so. In addition, gratefulness—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased energy, optimism, and empathy.

Jarrod Wells and Graeme Harding, CARE Coordinators

Sports Excellence News

PBC’s Sports Excellence Faculty is proud to announce that our submission to the 2017 Gold Coast Airport Community Fund has been successful.

The submission “REDS – Rise Every Day Stronger” Mental Health Support Program will roll out across Semester 2 this year. The pilot program will use Sports and Performance psychologist Abra Garfield, from Summit Performance Psychology, to deliver the sessions. The program aims at providing students with the knowledge and tools to build self-confidence, manage their emotions and stay mentally healthy (wellbeing).

There will be two components to the mental skills program; individual consultations and group workshops. We are looking forward to starting this program mid-Term 3 and strongly believe this will assist the holistic development of our student athletes greatly.

Neil Mackay
Head of Department – Sports Excellence

Education Access Centre News

EAC Term 3

Once again, the EAC faculty has proven to be a great team to be part of. We had a very busy end to Semester 1 with QuickSmart mid-year testing taking place, the parent and teacher Open Week and the wonderful PBC Athletics Carnival on the last day of term.

Term 3 started with a bang in Week 1 with the whole school 2017 NAIDOC assembly attended by approximately 2600 people. This was a very successful event that focussed on the 2017 theme “Our Languages matter.” The assembly was run by two of our senior indigenous students, Kyla Peacock from Year 12 and Braith Gausden from Year 11. Jessica Eaton from Year 7 explained the theme, and Aunty Joyce and Selwyn Apanui were our guest speakers who shared the history of language use and local language that we use in our day to day life. The Bpootharum dancers performed to the delight of the audience and we celebrated the academic, sporting and community service achievements of our Murri Jarjum.

In Week 1 the QuickSmart numeracy students challenged a teacher of their choice to 1-minute number facts, which resulted in a number of personal bests for these students. We have some very competitive teachers and students here at PBC. A fun session was had by all albeit with sweaty palms and racing hearts, and this was only the teachers!

Our LAN students celebrated their Semester 1 academic achievement with a Celebration morning tea in Week 2. Students who received the highest grade in their class, students who made the most progress and students with excellent levels of effort and behaviour were all invited to join us.

Our Year 9/10/11 and 12 students attended an excursion at Bond University last week as part of the AIME (Aboriginal and Islander Mentoring Experience) program which promotes and supports a mentoring model that bridges the divide between university and high school students.

It has begun as a busy and exciting time and we expect this to continue throughout the term. Thank you.

Elizabeth Gill
A/HOD EAC

LAN (Literacy and Numeracy classes) Year 7 and 8

The aim of this successful program is to develop confidence and improvement in the area of essential literacy and numeracy skills. Our lessons focus on the specific areas that are being studied in the Core English and Mathematics units for the term. Students in the LAN program completed a very successful Semester 1 with over 50 students awarded for their excellent effort, behaviour and achievement. At the LAN Celebration of Learning Awards morning tea the following students were recognized for their outstanding achievement in each class:

Zane Silvester 7A
Tyson McConnell 7C
Ebony Laing 8A
Denver Booth 8B
Milahn Skipps 8C
Jason Muir 8O
Tyrone Lambert 8P

The following students were recognised for their improved grades in either Literacy or Numeracy or both from Term 1 interim reports to Term 2 final semester reporting:

Also worthy of an award are Beno Biju Abraham 7B, Elijah Saad 7A, Makedon Doncevski 7B, Lulu Maiden 8O, Tyson O’Connor 8O and Ethan Quirke 8A for their consistent effort and achievement in the IXL maths program. We look forward to further gains in achievement in Semester 2.

Kim O’Kane and Courtney Halse
LAN Coordinators

Murri Jarjum Academic Liaison Teacher Update

On the 26 and 27 June, I was fortunate enough to represent PBC at the 2017 Queensland Indigenous Education Conference at the Brisbane Royal International Convention Centre. Building upon the success of the 2016 conference, 2017 introduced the theme of Equity Through Excellence and featured outstanding guest presenters from many different backgrounds. My personal favourite was a rousing presentation by Tony McEvoy, Australia’s first Indigenous Senior Counsel. Tony’s presentation spanned from his humble beginnings growing up as a young Wiri man, all the way through to his current appointment as counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Northern Territory Youth Detention. His message to the crowded auditorium was simple: Australia’s Indigenous students have the world at their feet. This message was echoed throughout the hierarchy of Queensland Education, with the conference culminating in the thoughts of our Director General, Dr Jim Watterston: “Indigenous education is everyone’s business.” This sentiment was evident in all discussions between both presenters and attendees and left me with the strong impression that effective Indigenous education remains a key priority to educators throughout Queensland. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the conference and very much look forward to bringing some great ideas to the PBC community.

Cameron Williams
Academic Liaison Teacher

Murrup Barak Camp

At the beginning of Term 3 I attended The Murrup Barak camp which provides indigenous students with interactive experiences highlighting the support available at the University of Melbourne, as well as opportunities to engage with various faculties and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. During my time with Murrup Barak, I formed some incredible friendships, created countless memories and grew immensely as an individual. The camp included a Welcome to Wurundjeri Country, discussion sessions with academics and students from several faculties, various campus and faculty tours, multiple yarning circles, an insight into university life and leadership workshops. This camp has by far been one of the best experiences of my life, and one I will cherish forever. The opportunities and support provided through the Murrup Barak institution are remarkable, and I urge any Indigenous student wishing to fulfill tertiary study to participate in this camp in the future.

Jasper Garner – Year 11

QuickSmart

What a wonderful and busy start to the QuickSmart term. Firstly we would like to welcome Juanita Murphy to the team. Juanita replaces Cathy Modini who is currently enjoying her time in the European summer.

At the end of Term 2 we held a QuickSmart open week where parents and teachers were invited to join us for our lessons. This opportunity was enthusiastically attended and offered our students the chance to share the learning experience with their parents and proudly show their progress in reading and numeracy. The feedback from the Parent Survey has been overwhelmingly positive.

Our mid-year testing is almost complete and reports for parents are almost ready to be sent home. These are an exciting new development for QuickSmart and we look forward to sharing the progress of your children with you.

A huge thank you to the very brave teachers who stepped up to accept the challenge put forward by our Numeracy students. We ran a 1-minute Flashcard Challenge which required the teachers and the students to correctly answer as many number facts as possible. Congratulations to Mr Will Johnston who was the winner for the teachers with 120 answered correctly and Carlos Houia, the PBC student champion with 88.

We are holding an attendance BBQ this week for the students who achieved 90% attendance at QuickSmart in Semester 1. To get the most out of this program attendance is vital and directly linked with progress. Congratulations and thank you to Molly Fergusson and Wayan Ulgekutt for 100% attendance at Numeracy lessons. The students with the highest level of attendance in Literacy were Beno Biju Abraham, Jarvis Vallance, Beau Barnes, Louise Lamos, Summer Kilburn, Heath Taylor and Jessica Finch. Well done, keep it up, we love working with you all.

Visible Literacy

“Literacy is the single most significant skill needed to function effectively in school, the work place and society… It is vital to a successful education, career and quality of life.”

In Term 3 we continue our Literacy Bites in the first 20 minutes of every English lesson. As part of our classroom routine, student confidence and skills in spelling, vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, reading and writing are strengthened. These literacy bites seamlessly connect to curriculum and enhance skills and knowledge associated with assessment and learning goals. This term, we are tracking student improvement by conducting testing at various stages throughout the term so we can celebrate individual success! Remember to encourage a love of literacy and a love of learning!

Samantha Wahlin
Visible Literacy Coordinator

Science News

Brain Bee

Week 2 of this term, four of our most outstanding Year 10 Science students, Aaron Morrow, Natasha Nguyen, Claire Moffat and Isabelle Richters attended the Queensland State Finals of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge (ABBC) at the Queensland Brain Institute located at the University of Queensland. This Challenge is the country’s only neuroscience competition for high school students. The competition is designed to test school students’ knowledge on a range of topics, including intelligence, memory, emotions, sleep, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.

6,000 students from 300 schools across Australia and New Zealand took part in the first round. The Year 10 students outwitted and outsmarted over 1000 teenagers from 55 Queensland schools in a multiple-choice neuroscience quiz to make the top 130.

15-year-old Isabelle Richters said: “I was shocked when we were told who got through, and my name was on the list. It’s not an easy topic to study for, so the fact that we got the opportunity to go to QBI is amazing,”

ABBC state finalists were also be given an exclusive tour of the world-class facilities at QBI and met with renowned scientific researchers at the Institute.

“Students take part in two rounds of live questioning to determine the Australian Brain Bee Queensland champion, but are also included in various activities to educate them about neuroscience research, including lab tours, lectures, demonstrations, and various other opportunities to learn about neuroscience in the workplace,” ABBC organiser and QBI neuroscientist Associate Professor Bruno Van Swinderen, who coordinated the competition said; “Neurological and mental illness account for a huge proportion of the disease burden in our community so we need to attract the best and brightest minds to take up a career in science.”

It was the first time our students have competed and school coordinator Mr Jason Jeffrey said the ABBC gave the most motivated students the opportunity to excel at the highest level.

Cutting Edge for Kids

The Cutting Edge for Kids conference is an annual event held at Griffith University for Year 4 to 6 students from Gold Coast schools who are interested in STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. This year our PBC STEM ambassador team, composed of students from Years 7 to 12, developed and ran two workshops at the event. The first workshop focused on crime, utilising simple forensic techniques such as finger printing and pH testing to charge the correct suspect. The other workshop explored the ideas of Rube Goldberg machines with energy changes and chain reactions.

Our team assisted students through various activities and explained the science behind it. The day was a great success and our STEM ambassadors and the primary school kids all enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot.

The PBC STEM Ambassadors who attended were Shelby Craik, Elise Watkins, Amelia Cody-Byfield, Amy Cooper, Annika Danielsen, Max Bullpitt, Kyra Taylor, Lenismaria Ikenasio, Bayley d’Hotman de Villiers, Kai Davis, Tom Thomson and Jarreth Bisley.

Shelby Craik
Senior STEM Ambassador

Engineering Opportunity

The Engineering Project Link program is dedicated to giving students the opportunity to work with engineers in chosen fields and experience certain aspects of an engineer’s role. Students are mentored by university students to assist with the given task and relieve any myths around university lifestyle and studying.

Over the two-day program, Year 11 and 12 students were able to go to Queensland University of Technology and participate in workshops of two engineering disciplines of their choice. A few of us from PBC attended the program and were divided into groups within our discipline. We were required to address a posed problem through testing results and recommended solutions which were assessed by our guest engineers and university students.

During the program I was able to work with professional engineers and experience different disciplines of engineering in which I am interested in. Taking advantage of the opportunities made available to students through school and university, I have gained knowledge about Engineering and it has allowed me to become more aware of the specific roles of Engineering within the real world.

Elise Watkins, Year 12
PBC STEM Ambassador
Future Engineer

STEM Cup Grand Finalists

STEM Cup was a series of hands-on educational STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) challenges. These challenges were designed, resourced and provided by the STEM Education Network and Griffith University, providing students the opportunity to further develop their STEM skills and increase their engagement with STEM.

At the end of last term, the top 12 secondary teams from across the Northern, Southern Brisbane, Central, Eastern, and Southern regions competed at the Grand Final at Griffith University. One of the PBC teams was successful in being a top team and competed at the Grand Final. These were Year 7 students Luke Pache, Liam Locher and Ryan Pead, a.k.a. The Mighty Men. The boys were fabulous competitors throughout the entire competition, and deservedly placed third overall taking home a pair virtual goggles as their prize.

Maths News

Mental Maths and Lifelong learners

It’s been another busy few weeks in Maths at PBC! Week 2 was especially fun with the Mental Maths Week Interhouse Challenge. Students competed in a preliminary round to see how fast they could complete 60 mental arithmetic questions. Speed was important but students learned that accuracy was too as they were penalised 5 seconds for every incorrect answer! Our top students completed the challenge in well under 2 minutes. The challenge sheet is attached if you would like to have a go yourself. The week culminated in a Mental Maths Bee where the top students from the preliminary rounds competed in a sudden-death mental math-off. Teachers also competed to add extra challenge.

Spectators and competitors were kept on the edge of their seats. By the final 2 Austen Younger (Athenians) and Keon Ackerman (Vikings), both year 8 students, were the last ones standing. They had eliminated all other competitors from Years 7 to 12 and teachers! They then went head to head in a nail-biting finish. There could only be one winner and although Austen fought hard – Keon Ackerman took the trophy for 2017. Congratulations to Keon and thanks to Trent Hage, Middle School Maths HOD, for organising the event.

Finalists involved

Year 7

Xavier Hughes
James Reid
Jonathon Chi
Sesalela Ryan-Ova

Year 8

Adyn Bognuda
Austen Younger 2nd
Lloyd McVeigh 3rd
Keon Ackerman 1st
Kai Meath 3rd

Year 9

Aleena Peter
Matthew Lee
Robbie James
Jett Peterson

Year 10

Kobi Wickens

Year 11

Ruby Allen
Tomo Kawamura
Riley Kennington
Steven Adam

Year 12

Katy Vaughan
Bethany Clark
Chan Dick

Congratulations to all who took part.

It is often said that teachers are lifelong learners and the Maths staff at PBC are living proof of this. Weekly faculty meetings are a great forum for sharing good practice and this week was no exception. Pictured are Maths staff competing to see who can complete an Indices jigsaw the fastest. The jigsaw is a great alternative way to answer lots of questions in a group, students and staff alike have fun learning and consolidating their knowledge this way.

Here are the Maths challenge questions. It would be great to hear from anyone who can complete the challenge in under 1 minute 30 seconds.

Cathy Clipson
HOD Mathematics

International Department News

Students from Jian Sing Junior High School from Taiwan are currently doing a cultural visit at PBC. The students have been here for nearly 2 weeks and have had fun with their buddies doing beach activities, cooking Anzac biscuits, Indigenous cultural display and playing a variety of sports including Zumba. The students spent time in our classrooms with their buddies and are enjoying the interaction. On the weekends, the students who are being cared for by our local families, are also experiencing the local attractions like Movie World and Paradise Country. This is their first time to Australia and the Gold Coast and we hope they will take back some wonderful memories of their visit.

Arts News

PBC Music Celebration Festival

On 21 July PBC Instrumental Music Department opened its doors to the public with the PBC Music Celebration Festival. The festival aimed to bring together ensembles from the Southern Gold Coast region to share music without the pressure of competition and placings. Dr Rob McWilliams from Yamaha Australia was the resident clinician for the day and provided feedback and workshops to all ensembles who participated in the day. Dr McWilliams is a strong advocate for taking the competition out of music and thought the PBC Music Celebration Festival captured the celebration aspect perfectly. A special thank you to all the schools who participated in the event; Currumbin State School, Elanora State School, Palm Beach State School, Robina State School, Tallebudgera State School, Currumbin Valley State School and Southport State High School.

To finish of what was already a successful day, parents, staff and community members were treated to the inaugural PBC Jazz Night. A dinner and a show in the Trade Training Centre which featured PBC Stage Band 1, the Liam Butler Alumni Trio and the Southport State High School Stage Band. The night had a jazz club feel about it and brought swing, hip hop, funk and a little bit of Latin to the forefront. Dr McWilliams once again featured on the trumpet with 2 incredible solos.

The Instrumental music staff and students would like to extend a big thank you to members of the Band MAD – Karen Gray, Kylene Hickey, Mary-Ellen Klem and Kim Flynn for their behind the scenes work on the day and also to the all of the guests who attended the jazz night and made it a special event. Thanks also to OzWinds Gold Coast for sponsoring Jazz Night.

We look forward to hosting another festival like this in the future.

Kayla Latter, Instrumental Music Coordinator.

School Nurse – News

Hi PBC Community!

My name is Hilary Wilson and I will be filling in for Judy while she is away on a 12 month secondment. I look forward to a fun year of promoting health and wellness in the PBC school and community.

This week I would like to promote Dental Health Week (6 – 12 August 2017)

Dental Health Week 2017 is focussing on basic components to suit every routine (no matter how busy you are).

These components include

• Brush 2 times every day
• Use floss at least once a day
• Eat healthy (reduce sugary drinks and food)
• Visit the dentist for regular check-ups.

For further information on Dental Health Week visit the link below

Hilary Wilson, School Nurse

General News

Important information

PBC and the Pines Centre Management have agreed that any PBC student in school uniform will not be served at any food outlet during school hours from 9:00am to 3:00pm, unless accompanied by a parent/carer.

Student Sign in/Sign out Procedure

• Parents signing out/in their student in person should present to Student Services at A Block to do so.
• Parents requesting their students sign out/in via phone or in writing: the student needs to attend the relevant administration office in Middle / Senior School to sign out/in.

2017 Early School Leavers survey

The Queensland Government is conducting its annual statewide survey of students who left school in Years 10, 11 and prior to completing Year 12 during 2016. The Early School Leavers survey is a short, confidential survey that collects information about what young people are doing the year after leaving school.

Between July and August, students who left school in Years 10, 11 and prior to completing Year 12 last year can expect to receive an invitation to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office to complete the survey. Please encourage them to take part.

For more information, visit the link below or telephone toll free on 1800 068 587.

Bike Safety

Elanora Police continue to address the wearing of bicycle helmets and are pleased to report an improvement. Many students however are claiming that they do not have a helmet at all or do not have a helmet with them when stopped. We are asking parents to support the initiative and ensure their children have and wear an appropriate bicycle helmet. We have also secured an additional prize of passes to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to go to one of our lucky random winners!!!!

Kurt Foessel, Senior Constable 4007023
Officer in Charge Elanora Police Beat

Earn and Learn - Woolworths

Woolworths Earn & Learn is back! Please support Palm Beach Currumbin State High when allocating your stickers.

Anyone from the community – staff, parents, grandparents, neighbours and friends - who shop at Woolworths can collect stickers for our school. If we all stick together and collect Earn & Learn stickers at Woolworths, we can earn our choice of educational equipment & resources.

This year Woolworths are partnering once again with Modern Teaching Aids, Australia's biggest supplier of educational equipment. This means we can choose resources based on our needs across every category possible including: S.T.E.M, Science. Mathematics, English, Sport and Arts and Craft.

Student Achievements

We encourage parents/caregivers to email your student’s excellent recent achievements to us. These achievements can be in The Arts, sporting, academic or community service. We would love to hear from you! Please email us at news@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au with details of your student’s achievement and include at least one photo, and/or any links to media articles that we can share via our Parent Newsletter, internal communications and Facebook.

Debating Update

There is a great deal of activity in debating this term with many PBC students through to the Gold Coast Debating Association’s finals rounds and the popular Student vs. Teacher Debate at school last week. Debate teams from 8B, 8C, 9A and 9C were all undefeated in the first four rounds of the Debating Association’s competition. We wish them great success as they compete with schools across the Gold Coast to win a place in the Grand Finals.

The Student vs. Teacher Debate is an entertaining annual platform for some of our brightest Year 12 students to demonstrate their skills against teachers. Results of the Debating Association Finals and the Student vs. Teacher Debate will be announced in a future edition of the newsletter.

Students vs Teachers

Netball – Students vs. Teachers

The annual Teacher vs Student netball match was a highly anticipated event for 2017. The Reds Open A Vicki Wilson Cup team challenged the teachers to a fast and physical match. Yet again, the Reds were too strong, fast and technical for the old has-beens. However the teachers were within goals at half time, with the score board showing 12-10 to the Reds. The teacher’s strong shooting combinations proved to be an assist in 2017. They were out-shot by the consistent and accurate Reds shooters: Rhianna Bevege and Mikayla Thomas. The midcourt was dominated by Sophie Meehan, Zali Cheffers and Caitlin Fowler who outran the teachers. The defenders, Madison Foster, Kiah Bedggood, Jaime Phillips, Hannah Barker and Abi Houston limited the options over the court. The Reds have already requested a rematch to outplay the teachers in term 4.

Thank you to everyone involved in what is a favourite event by the Open Reds Netball.

Touch Football – Students vs. Teachers

The teachers put on a clinic winning 8 touchdowns to 3 over the Senior Touch Sports Excellence Girls in the annual Teachers vs Student’s touch game. The game was very hotly contested but the speed and precision of the teachers was too big a hurdle to overcome for the students.

Acting Executive Principal Mr Hanna was the star of the show with his electric speed out of acting half and he lit up the game with his half-field cut-out pass to flying winger Mr Chetty to score late in the game. He also took the opportunity to play the last couple of minutes with the student’s team and set up a touchdown taking off from half and passing to the ever-reliable winger Angel Avery. 154 Qld Cup gamer Mr Davis was the king of the intercepts with 3 touchdowns occurring as a result of him living in the passing lanes.

The students tried very hard and created numerous opportunities through their middles Taylah Robb, Courtney Thomas and the King twins, Abby and Roxy, but could not always covert these into points.

Congratulations to both teams on a fantastic game and better luck next year to the students.

Mr Eggert, Mr Russell
Touch Sports Excellence Coaches

Congratulations to Sunny Bower who was featured in a Gold Coast Bulletin article last week highlighting Sunny's recent success at the Queensland Junior Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge. Against 140 rivals aged 4-14 Sunny won Gold in the Level 8 division. What an incredible achievement! Sunny is off to China to train under Russia's Olypmic Gold Medallist Margarita Mamun and will return for the QLD State Titles at Carrara in August.

Congratulations to Sport Excellence student Dakota Newson who has been selected in the U12 Queensland School Girls Netball team. Dakota is a fierce, fast and strategic mid court player who was named MVP for the South Coast team. Good luck to Dakota she competes in the National Championships in Adelaide 1-10 December

Congratulations to Sport Excellence student Abi Houston who has been selected in the U15 Queensland School Girls Netball team. Abi is a relentless defender who endures the intensity and speed of the game. She is a strategic and consistent thinker on court, outsmarting and outplaying her opponents. Abi was a part of South Coast team who were crowned state champions Good luck to Abi who will compete in the National Championships in Adelaide 1-10 December

Congratulations to Sport Excellence students Shiphrah Lemusu and Baylee Stapp-Wyllie who were selected from the U14 QLD Indoor netball team into the U14 Australian Indoor Netball Team. The girls competed in world championships in South Africa, winning 11/12 games

A big well done to Corey Parker, Year 12 for being part of the back stage crew at this year's CGEN in Brisbane. Corey had to be on hand for very long hours meaning very early starts and late nights. He had a key part in the smooth running of the show. We are very proud of your efforts Corey!

Dates to Remember

1 August 2017 Year 12 Optima Assembly, 9:15am in the Hall
3 August 2017 Year 10 Optima Assembly, 9:15am in the Hall
4 August 2017– Senior School Career Day, 8:30am – 12:00pm.
Parents are invited to attend 11:30am - 12:00pm.
Over 30 Exhibitors are expected on the day.
15 August 2017 Year 10, Vaccination against Meningococcal ACWY
15-17 August 2017 Round 2 Selective Entry Sports Ex Trials for Year 7 in 2018
15 August 2017 P&C Meeting
16 August 2017 Set Plan Information Night, 5:00-8:00pm The Hall
18 August 2017 PBC Alliance Breakfast, 6:45-8:15am Trade Training Centre
21-25 August 2017 Sports Ex Trials for Yrs 8-12 in 2018
24 August 2017 Set Plan Interviews, 2:00-6:30pm

Administration

Cashier Window Operating Hours

Over the counter payments can only be accepted between 8:00am and 1:00pm on Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can make payments via BPOINT or Direct Deposit.

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.: 2016 SRS8 or 2016 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).

Reminder that 2017 SRS fees are overdue, and any other outstanding amounts on student’s accounts. To make a credit card payment or to request bank details for direct bank transfer, please telephone the school, or visit our Student Services department between 8:00am and 1:00pm for all other payments.

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 the link below to register today!

Student Lockers Available

Student lockers are available for hire at PBC.

• $20.00 for annual locker hire in 2017
• $24.00 for PBC approved combination lock. $20 of this represents a security deposit that will be credited back to student on return of the lock (in good working order) at end 2017.
• Lockers available are located at G Block
• Payments can be made at Student Services

Saver Plus

Saver Plus is a financial inclusion program with matched savings that benefits families and their children’s education. Please see link to flyer below, or click here for further information.

PBC Alliance

Term 3 Breakfast

The Alliance Breakfast is planned for Friday, 18 August, 6:45-8:15am. If you are a local business person and are interested in meeting with other local business people please come along to our breakfast. Our networking breakfasts are held every term and are catered for by our own in-house catering team and served by our own hospitality students who have learnt their skills by working at local businesses.

Interesting and informative Guest Speakers are invited to attend every breakfast and this time we are welcoming Wayne Hickson from Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Wendy Handley from Tugun Community Bank and Mark Conrad from Synergy Fitness.

To find out more and to book your place head to:

‘Below Average’ Comic Strip

About the Comic

High school. It's a daunting place, especially when you're at the bottom of the social ladder… where we find four friends trying to survive their final days of senior year. Join Marina, Maddison, Amy and Olivia as they embrace adolescence with a refreshing and humorous approach to daily life in this brand new addition to the Palm Beach Currumbin High School Newsletter.

Below Average is a fortnightly webcomic created by cartoonist Nicholas Cleaver in mid-2010. It follows the day-to-day adventures of four not-so average teenagers: Marina, an inventor suffering with obsessive-compulsive disorder; Maddison, a blissfully ignorant foodaholic; Amy, a sarky game fanatic; and Olivia, the kookiest member of the group.

The strip’s primary theme is humour, and focuses largely on friendship, school and the four girls’ incompatibility with established society.