20 November 2017

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

Dear Parents & Guardians

Last week witnessed the culmination of 13 years of schooling for our year 12 students. 412 students left our grounds for the last time as they embarked on the first day of their adult lives. The Walk Out through the whole of school Guard of Honour was a great way for our students to exit and something that the other grades will look forward to. Following on from the Walk Out was the Graduation Night and Formal. The arrivals were spectacular and the students looked awesome in their formal wear. This year’s senior cohort will be missed as they have excelled in all the traditional areas of schooling and they led the charge in embracing the new Care and House structure in 2018.

With the Year 12s exiting the school, we do not ease off and coast into the Christmas Holidays. Exams, assignment submission and reporting are all now priorities for the year 7 to 11 students. This time of year is important as students sit their end of year exams and complete assignments that carry a heavy weighting so it is vital that students continue to attend every day.

The Full School Review – Executive Summary has been sent to the school. The full Executive Summary can be found on the homepage of the school’s website. Whilst the summary was very positive and written in the context of moving the school from good to great, six recommendations were made to the school. The six recommendations are listed below and they will be discussed with the School Council about how best to move forward.

• Clarify, define and implement the expected school-wide non-negotiable pedagogical practices. (Parent friendly - How we actually teach things)
• Refine, clarify and communicate the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of school leaders to develop further staff members’ capacity to enact changes in practice required to drive school improvement. (Parent friendly - Who actually line manages which staff)
• Enhance the capacity of leaders to provide instructional leadership to ensure quality feedback regarding curriculum and pedagogical practices.
• Develop, implement and monitor a consistent approach to provide quality feedback that informs teaching practice.
• Implement quality, evidence-based differentiation practices in all classrooms.
• Clarify and invest in the school’s BYOD program.

Chris Capra
Executive Principal

Senior School Update

This week has been a week of reflection and celebration as we farewell our Year 12 graduating class of 2017. One of the largest cohorts of graduates in PBC history, this group of mature and high-achieving young men and women leave our gates as esteemed members of the PBC community and should be proud of all they have achieved.

After their final Year 12 exam, students relaxed with a farewell lunch and celebratory assembly before embarking on the traditional walk-out of the school gates for the final time. We then formally farewelled our graduates with an outstanding celebration of their successes and achievements with 2500+ audience present at the Gold Coast Convention Centre at the 2017 Graduation and Formal. Our graduating cohort are an absolute credit to the hard work and support offered to them by parents, guardians, carers and our wonderful PBC staff. The students looked amazing, and the evening was a fitting farewell to a remarkable group.

Special mention must go to Acting Dean of Year 12, Ms Amanda Stewart for her tireless efforts and support of this cohort over the last 2 years – the Graduation Ceremony merely a small representation of her dedication to ensuring these students experience every success in the future.

We wish our Year 10 & 11 cohorts well in their exam period. After a years’ worth of work in each of their subjects we hope that their efforts pay off in results.

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

Senior School Guidance Officer News

For information about school future pathways and job opportunities please click this link.

Pathways Centre News

For information about school future pathways and job opportunities please click this link.

Middle School Update

With less than four weeks to go we still have much to achieve to close out 2017 and be ready to begin the new school year. We have finalised reviews of our key programs and are now entering a consultation phase with staff on any changes for next year.

Transition day on Monday 4 December is a key focus for us in the next few weeks. We have completed visits to our local primary schools to gather information on our incoming students and plans to form next year’s classes are underway.

The final two weeks of school will see Middle School students finalise their assessment and gain feedback by the end of Week 9. Week 10 begins with Transition Day for incoming Year 7’s and all other Middle School students will participate in an alternate program week starting on this same day. There will be no normal classes in this week with current teachers; however students will work on curriculum related activities with PBC CARE teachers. Our school values collaborative professional learning and this model of staffing our last week enables this to occur. This model allows us to release our Middle School teachers to prepare and plan for 2018 in teams. Absences will be tracked as normal with rolls marked each day the usual sms message for absent students will be sent. Students will need to come in school uniform and should bring lunch as although the canteen will be open it will have reduced stock being the last week.

Finishing Well

At this time of the year, both parents and teachers can notice young people becoming tired and losing focus. We have been stressing the very small number of school days left this year, and the importance of finishing with the best possible outcomes. Attendance every day is crucial for maximising student learning and performance.

Our focus for the remainder of Term 4 is to prioritise the high expectations for our Middle School students ‘Nil Sed Optima’ – doing nothing but the best in every school endeavour and the Reds Pledge ‘to actively support others to do the same’. At PBC we continue to reinforce and reiterate high expectations for positive behaviours within the classroom, playground and wider community.

Assessment may continue up to and including the last day of Week 9, Friday 1 December. Full attendance is expected through this period, whether or not students have exams or assignments due on a particular day. Exam time can be stressful for students. A balanced diet, 30 minutes of exercise, regular bedtimes (before 10:00pm) and packing any technology away an hour before bed can all assist in reducing students’ feelings of anxiety.

Final assemblies in Week 9 will have special significance for the students: Year 7s will celebrate the successful completion of their first year of high school; Year 8s, their transition to being the leaders of the Middle School; and Year 9, their graduation and transition to Senior School. The Year 9’s will also have a breakfast barbecue.

In Week 10, we offer ‘Special Programs’, a range of activities that engage students in learning extension and fun. School finishes on Friday 8 December.

We wish all our Middle School students every success over the coming weeks!

The Middle School asks all parent/caregivers to ensure your child’s 2018 enrolment is completed and student choices have been made for elective subjects.

Year 9 Transition to Year 10

Some Year 9 parent/caregivers and students have already visited Ms Shreeve in the Pathways Centre (Y Block) to be ready for the transition to senior school. If you are interested there is a ‘Career Preparation Pack’ with information on how to get a tax file number, write a cover letter/resume and interview tips.

Some businesses are ready to start interviewing Year 9 students. Any student wishing to register with the Pathways Centre should see Ms Shreeve and bring in a resume and look at the job board for any work opportunity. There are already 30 traineeships available to the 2018 Year 10 students. Traineeships are available in Child Care, Hospitality, Tourism and Business. Students can get paid and gain a Certificate III qualification!

Transition Day 2017

On Monday 4 December, we will welcome close to 400 future Year 7s to PBC. If you know a family who is yet to enrol their child for next year, please urge them to do so by Friday 24 November, so their young person can be part of the exciting ‘first steps’ at PBC.

Textbook Return

Now is the time of year for students to dig out the textbooks and novels they are no longer using in the classroom, and return them to The Book Room in B Block. Any texts required through the exam period can be returned after the tests are completed.

Please encourage students to search through their bedrooms and lockers for textbooks. Returning all books now means that students will be able to hire next year’s texts in a timely manner at the start of 2018, and they will have no bill issued for missing texts!

Lockers

In these final weeks, students should be cleaning out their lockers in preparation for the end of the year. Bringing home those items not used daily can save students having to transport too many things home in one trip. All lockers must be cleaned out by Friday 24 November. Lockers will be available again at the start of the 2018 school year, at which time students may go to Student Services and have a locker allocated to them.

We do welcome any communication from parent/caregivers. If you have a concern please email parentsupport@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au.

Anita Sgalippa, Head of School – Middle School
For and on behalf of Middle School

Middle School Guidance Officer News

The end of year exam period is upon us!

At this time of the year young people around Australia experience extraordinary levels of stress. Stress not only effects mental and physical health but also can impact on exam performance.

To help our young people deal with this issue Generation Next and Sydney University's Department of Psychiatry have developed this free, evidence based, easy to use app.

Designed specifically for young people, it quickly and effortlessly upskills young people with a simple, evidence based mindfulness/meditation method that reduces stress and improves mental wellbeing.

The specific techniques and video sequences used in the app have been the subject of several clinical trials and field studies conducted in Australian state schools and hospitals under the auspices of the University of Sydney and the University of NSW, all of which have demonstrated specific effectiveness. For a more detailed look at some of the key evidence, see the following links.

Although the Mental Stillness App was designed with school-aged young people in mind, it is also suitable for use by adults. You can download the Mental Stillness App using the links below.

Andrew Fuller

The Arts News

Scene Project

We have had an incredibly busy term providing opportunities for our artists to extend and refine their craft in an enriching and nurturing environment. This year PBC was selected along with 52 other Queensland schools to be a part of Queensland Theatre Company’s ‘Scene Project.’

The Scene project is an educational project devised to give students the opportunity to explore a newly commissioned script and share their work on the Billie Brown stage at the Queensland Theatre Company. This year we explored, ‘600 Ways to Filter a Sunset’ by Daniel Evans. Students workshopped the script with their teachers Ms McGlynn and Mr Sarasola and worked with a QTC director to refine their work to performance standard. We then travelled to Brisbane to work with QTC Arts staff and performed a snapshot of our work with 5 other schools. All students relished the opportunity to perform on the Queensland Theatre Company stage! We were then treated to a professional performance of the play. It was an enriching and unforgettable experience for all Year 10/11 Drama Excellence students. We hope to be a part of the program again next year.

Visual Art

The Visual Art Department has had a very busy term with student producing some fantastic results. The Year 9 core classes are, for the first time, working on canvases. Students have been asked to complete an appropriation where they combine two famous artworks into a unique composition. Miss Hall and Ms Kent are both impressed at how the Year 9s have tackled this project and the paintings are brilliant.

The Year 8 Art Excellence students have been working on paintings to be hung in the athlete’s village at the Commonwealth Games. Athletes will be able to keep the artwork form their room as a souvenir of the games. The theme for the project was “Our Place” so Palm Beach and Currumbin landmarks were chosen by the students as their focus.

25 year 5 students from Currumbin Primary attended a before school early morning art class this week. The student learnt all about the art movement Impressionism and the artist Monet. The students then painted their own Monet inspired waterlilies with wonderful results.

In the senior school two Visual art students have had the honour of winning the 2017 Principals Awards. Isabella Hibble and Maree Feyfant have had their senior art works selected to become part of the permanent school Art collection.

Instrumental Music

The Instrumental Music Program capped off what has been a fabulous year with our annual concert Under the Lights on 19 October. The performance featured over 145 instrumental music and vocal ensemble students, 15 PBC alumni instrumental musicians, 11 ensembles plus a 33 member strong Future Band. Over 530 guests attended this year’s event and all were seated surrounded by family and friends to share in a dinner and a show. The event was hosted by students and staff from the IM department and supported by the Instrumental Music Band MAD (Mums and Dads) group who assisted with the mammoth set up and sausage sizzle. Students and staff would like to take the opportunity to thank members of Band MAD for their unwavering support of the PBC IM from PBC staff and our fabulous community members never go unnoticed.

The PBC vocal group has had an enriching year full of varied performance opportunities. Students have learned to sing in traditional language for NAIDOC week, received a Very Highly Commended at the Gold Coast Choral Eisteddfod as well as collaborated with and performed to the outside community. Most recently students have performed at PBC’s Under the Lights evening as well as visited Aged care homes and performed for the Currumbin RSL War Widows association. All vocal group members have embraced opportunities to expand their technical singing knowledge, as well as develop in their musicianship through the art of vocal blending and song arrangement. Students have grown very close and supportive of one another through these diverse experiences and always endeavour to represent Palm Beach Currumbin to the very best of their ability. They hold a great amount of potential as a group and should be very proud of their combined efforts this year.

During Term 4, Year 7 Music Excellence students have committed themselves to the development of their skills in relation to both performance technique and stage etiquette. Their final unit for 2017 aims to expand on and challenge student’s established talents and skills through the art of performance, staging and performance preparation. Many students are in the midst of overcoming nerves as well as some of the challenges that come with working within a group with admirable effort and determination. On the whole, these young musicians hold very high expectations for themselves and PBC can certainly expect to see and hear great things from them in the near future.

Year 9 Music Excellence students have been studying various large ensembles and the skills required when playing in the context of a larger group. Through preparing and performing in pre-selected groups, students have been able to exercise their arrangement skills and teamwork abilities as well as enhance their individual musicianship and sense of professionalism. The class recently visited SAE studios in NSW, whereby many students in the class were recorded in professional studios. Through these experiences, students showed maturity, professionalism and confidence in their musical abilities. Such potential and raw talent this class holds - we at PBC cannot wait to see what unfolds within the lives of these young artists.

PBC’s Dance Night 2017 was a huge success with over 600 in attendance, many audience members commented that this was the best one yet. There were 28 acts, displaying a great variety of curricular and extra-curricular work. The show was held at the Arts Centre Gold Coast, which was an incredible experience for both students and staff. The professional venue was a perfect fit for our growing program with up to 40 students per item. Students were involved in two full days of rehearsal for the event and all staff were pleased with the positive behaviour and initiative students showed. Some of the highlights included the combined Eisteddfod numbers ‘End of Time’ and ‘Wild Horses’ which collectively took out three first places and one third at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod. Audience members were also highly entertained by our guests ‘TCK’ from Dance Force who competed in the World Hip Hop Championships in Arizona, USA this year. In addition, our guest musicians Sean Petie in Year 11 and Maya Van Der Werff in Year 9 were a pleasure to have in the show. Thanks to all staff and students who were involved and/or came to watch.

You are all invited to attend our Junior Music Excellence evening Thursday 23 November in our theatre from 6:30pm and also good luck to Ms Swanborough, Ms Latter and Mr Roberts who are preparing to fly 45 students to America to perform two shows at Universal Studios, Disneyland and Knottsberry Farm.

Thank you to everyone for all of their support, the parents, staff, students, the PBC Alliance and community members are all real credit to our programs here at PBC, bring on 2018!

Loren Skyring
HOD The Arts/Creative Arts Excellence

Humanities News

PBC Japan Trip 2018

A student tour to Japan will take place from 23 September to 2 October in 2018 for students who study Japanese. This will be an amazing opportunity for students to experience the wonderful Japanese culture, meet new people and enhance their language skills. The approximate cost of the excursion is around the mid $2000 mark. This will be confirmed at a later date. Please see below itinerary.

Any expressions of interest can be directed to Mr Urasaki or Ms O’Neill.

The above itinerary may change slightly depending on the hotel bookings, train bookings and flight bookings.

2018 Great Barrier Reef Geography Camp

In Week 6 of term 2, 2018 our two Year 12 Geography classes will travel to Cairns to partake in a 4 day/3 night camp organised through Second Nature Asia-Pacific group. This fully guided tour will be a lot of fun for all involved, it also aligns with the unit we will be studying – Sustaining Biodiversity – and students will be collecting primary data in which they will use in their assessment piece upon their return.

We will be travelling by plane to Cairns where we will be met by bus to take us to our first destination. The following activities will be taking place and are included in the price of the camp.

• Premium Great Barrier Reef experience
• Daintree Rainforest tour
• Atherton tablelands tour
• Kuranda Skyrail
• Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Centre
• Mossman Gorge
• Cape Tribulation
• All meals and accommodation costs are also included.

Andrew Griffin
Head of Department Humanities

2017 Sports Awards

Sports Awards evening recognizes State and National Medalists, Representatives, and Champion teams. As well as the recipients of the Pierre De Coubertin Award, the Griffith University Sports Award and the prestigious P.B.C. “REDS” Awards. The night finished with the presentation of the Sportspeople of the Year.

This year our special guests were Ben Ikin, David Lonie and Jackson Maynard who all presented awards along with Rod Patison who was inducted as our 2017 PBC Sports Ambassador. The night was attended by 285 staff, students and parents.

We had:

• 65 QLD Representatives
• 10 Australian Representatives
• 3 QLD Champion Teams
• 1 Australian Champion Team

2017 Arts Awards

Arts Awards Night recognises all the major achievements of our Creative Arts students in 2017

2017 Academic Awards

Celebrating the Academic Achievements of our students the 46th Annual PBC Academic Awards was an evening where many students were acknowledged for their achievements. There were a number of special awards, bursaries and scholarships awarded on the night. We acknowledged and thanked the 2017 Student Leaders, announced and welcomed the 2018 Student Leaders, the 2018 Student Council, Vice Captains and School Captains. The biggest awards for the night were the 2017 Dux and Runner Up to Dux.. Congratulations to all award recipients. Please find a list of the award winners below along with some photos of the night.

General News

Student Medical Equipment

Students with medical equipment stored in the sick bay must come and collect their items before the end of term. Our office is open Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm Please visit during these times so you have your items back over the school holidays.

2017 Yearbook

If you haven’t already pre-ordered the 2017 Yearbook for your students now is a great time to do so! The Yearbook is being printed and is due to be available at the end of November 2017. It includes a huge amount of photos from all the fun and events that have been had this year. All year cohorts are represented! To order a 2017 Yearbook download and complete the attached order form and return to Student Services. At just $30 this is a wonderful keepsake for all PBC students.

PBC Alliance Business Directory

If you are looking for a product or service from a local business that supports our school, look no further than the PBC Alliance Business Directory. All the listings in this directory are supporters of our students so please support those that support our students.

Feature many businesses over many different categories you are sure to find what you are looking for as well as a special offer for Alliance Business Directory users!

Council Notification – Thrower Drive Bridge

The City of Gold Coast continues to undertake repairs on Thrower Drive Bridge over Currumbin Creek. In order to undertake these works, it is necessary to temporarily close one late to vehicular traffic. Night works are required to reduce traffic impacts and provide a safe working environment for construction personnel.

Commencing: 6 November 2017
Completion: 24 November 2017 (weather permitting)
Hours: 7:00pm – 6:00am

GCCC are making considerable effort to minimise disruptions and where possible noisy activities will be scheduled to occur early in the work period. Local residents may notice construction noise, machinery and extra lighting. Signage will be installed to notify motorists about the traffic restrictions.

Road users are requested to take extra care and observe traffic signage and speed restrictions.

For more information contact Pieter de Vox on 07 5581 6372.

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.

GRIP Leadership Conference

On 9 November, the incoming Middle School Head Prefects attended the GRIP Leadership Conference at Griffith University’s Gold Coast campus. Attendance at this event was just one way in which PBC practically prepares student leaders to contribute their energy and talents to the school community. The students learned that a leader should not be judged only by their attributes but by what they contribute to their school and House. Break out sessions included how to prepare energetic events and ways to motivate others. The enthusiastic participation of our young leaders was palpable and positive, and the bus trip home was livened by the brainstorming of the group. We look forward to their leadership in the coming year.

Sharon Hillcoat
HOD Middle School

Dates to Remember

Uniform Shop

Winter Jackets

Please note that all PBC navy jackets purchased earlier this year can now be swapped, for the new jackets now in stock, at the Uniform Shop.

Students need to bring their current jacket, purchased earlier this year, to the Uniform Shop between 8:15am and 9:00am or during Lunch One, Monday to Friday, to swap for a new jacket.

Parents are welcome to come in to swap jackets between 8:15am and 12:30pm Monday to Friday, but must have the old jacket, purchased this year, with them.

Please note that the cut-off date for swapping jackets is 10 November 2017.

The Uniform Shop will be opened for extended trading hours from next week. See details below.

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).

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).

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.

SRS Fees

Thank you to all our parents/caregivers for their valued support. Prompt payment of Student Resource Scheme Fees is greatly appreciated. The only SRS fees that should be outstanding at this time of the school year should be for 2018 SRS Fee’s or future extra-curricular activities/excursions or balances remaining for those on official School approved payment plans.

A reminder to parents that SRS Fees are required to be paid in full (or payment plan up to date) for students to be eligible to purchase the Year 12 jersey, to attend the Year 12 Formal and attend incursions/excursions including camps and other extra-curricular activities.

2018 SRS Fee payments are due in full or if paying via the installment option, first instalment is due by 6 October 2017 and the second instalment by 5 February 2018. This year we will be sending out a direct deposit link to set up the automatic deduction of the second instalment as a service to assist parents with this process.

Make payments the quick and easy way by using BPOINT. Visit the following link and follow the prompts or phone BPOINT on 1300 631 073.

Parents who may be experiencing financial difficulty can contact our Finance Office on 5525 9333 (Press 2 for Finance) or email ParentSupport ParentSupport@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au.

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

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.

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.

Community Notices

Palm Beach Soccer Club

PBC Alliance Partners

Thank you to all of our Partners that continually support our students strive to reach their potential.

Thrower House Holiday Program

The team here at Thrower House Youth Hub are really excited to share with you our Christmas and New Year’s holiday program. We will be running our awesome free activities starting Monday 11 December for 2 weeks, we then break for Christmas and return Monday 8 January for 2 weeks of fun before school goes back. That’s a total of 4 weeks of FREE holiday activities here at Thrower House. We have consent forms ready to be either picked up, it can be emailed, or you can simply have it filled out by a parent or guardian on your first day to the hub. We look forward to seeing loads of young people come and enjoy Throwers awesome school holiday program.

Thrower House Youth Staff

‘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.