23 July 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Term 3 was once a term where schools regrouped from the end of semester exams and tests and there were few activities outside of the daily teaching and learning opportunities. Commencing this week we had the first of a series of special assemblies as we celebrated NAIDOC day and the wonderful achievements of our indigenous students this year. This assembly is being followed by our Optima Assemblies over the next few weeks where we celebrate a wide range of achievements and excellence being demonstrated across the full spectrum of school life. After the assemblies we run into the team sports finals and knock out phases of state wide competitions in sports such as Rugby League, Soccer, Netball and Australian Rules whilst at the same time our Athletics students commence their District, Region and State Titles. In conjunction with the heavy sports programs, we have our Creative Arts Students commence the Eisteddfod season and the Academic Excellence students also have a run of competitions. Term 3 is not as quiet as it once was.

As a part of core school business, the Year 12 students have their QCS Test in a few weeks and then they are have the end of term exams to complete which usually carry a heavy weighting. Parents of Year 10 students should also keep informed of the SET Plan dates and times as their children choose senior subjects as a part of the new senior syllabus and Senior Assessment & Tertiary Entrance (SATE) agenda. Invitations for the Year 10 SET Planning Information Night and SET Plan Night have already been sent home.

Year 7, 2019 enrolments are now open. If you have a child entering Year 7, please take the time to enrol now as it assists us to commence planning and catering for next year’s students.

Regards
Chris Capra
Executive Principal

Senior School Update

Welcome back to our Senior School community to Term 3, an incredibly vibrant and busy term which provides our students with many opportunities for continued success, both in their subjects and extra-curricular activities. I look forward to celebrating student achievements across Semester 1 in our OPTIMA Award ceremonies, commencing on Monday and encourage parents to come along to these to join in applauding our students outstanding achievement across academia, sport, cultural and community service.

This term we will once again celebrate our Annual Athletics Carnival on 3 August, our representative athletes will finalise their competitions, our students within the Arts will lead our school in district Eisteddfods and our Year 12 students will participate in the QCS exam – just to glaze over a few of the many commitments. Our students and staff will acknowledge their gratitude for and within our community as part of our CARE program and House Points will again be up for grabs as we edge closer to naming only our 2nd-ever Champion House.

Term 3 indeed is a busy and rewarding term for our entire school community. We look forward to supporting your Senior School student in their every commitment throughout the second half of this year.

The importance of maintaining good study habits

It is very tempting at the start of the term, with exams seemingly a long way off, to sit back and relax, especially after a 2 week break. In fact, now is the time to start studying so that when those exams do start your child is better prepared for them.

Small actions can make a big difference. Studying one hour immediately after a class will do more good in developing an understanding of the material as several hours a few days later. Studies show that as much as 80 % of material learned in class is forgotten within 24 hours if there is no review. At the end of the week encourage your child to go over their notes for the week. This refreshes the memory and promotes better recall of the material. Repetition is the key to remembering. The more times you look at the material, the stronger you make the neural (brain) pathways that lead to the material. This makes recall much easier.

Encourage your child to study when they are at their best. It is difficult to get a night owl to study at 6am! If they have a few idle minutes, encourage them to write a few revision cards or review ones they have already created. Or get them to talk to you about something they are studying at school. A study plan is also useful – sit down with your child and write it together and make sure they include time for fun and relaxation as well as study. It is a balance that will help them to be successful. These small actions should reap benefits at the end of term when revision will be much easier if the work does not have to be learned again!

OP Predictions

The latest OP Predictions for our Year 12 cohort will soon be sent out to parents via email, while all students will have a meeting with their teacher mentor as to how to continue working hard and maximising their academic results. With Term 3 being one of the most crucial times for Year 12 students, these open discussions regarding achievement and targets are vital.

Year 11 students will soon receive their first round of OP Predictions and commence the mentor process, with these also being emailed home.

QCS Program

Year 12 QCS classes continue to commence at 8:00am on Wednesday morning. Support and extension classes for identified students will also take place during Sport on Wednesday afternoons. All 12 QCS students will have compulsory after school Masterclasses from 1:55 to 3:30pm on Wednesdays in Week 4, 5 and 6 of this term (8, 15 and 22 August) ahead of the actual QCS test on 4 and 5 September.

School-based Traineeships

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.

Any Year 12 student who is non-OP eligible and is interested in completing a Certificate III course which will open up tertiary pathways for 2019 should see Mr McDougall in Y Block asap.

Year 12 Formal and Graduation

A reminder that student deposits ($50) for the Year 12 Formal and Graduation are due by Friday 3 August, should students not wish to attend this event, please inform Mr McCullagh in Y Block. Guest tickets will go on sale in Term 4.

Kokoda Challenge

On the weekend of 14 and 15 July the PBC Year 12 Kokoda team – Cassidy Ormiston, Jak Graham, Jasmin Milcs, Kate Walker with Chris Patison as the lead teacher embarked on possibly the greatest challenge of their lives so far. They walked 96km in the Gold Coast Hinterland through challenging terrain and in near freezing temperatures. This was the culmination of months of training and planning. The students had bush-walked most weekends this semester and met every Wednesday morning to run the stairs at the Alley. They had practised walking all night (thank you to Mitch Kennedy for meeting the team for breakfast after the night walk) and had walked two consecutive days, camping in between. They also raised $650 for the Kokoda Youth Foundation by running very two very well-received sausage sizzles at school. The team was supported throughout the 30 hours by parent Ian Ormiston and Jasmin’s sister Holly together with Cathy Clipson. The support crew made sure that the team were well fed and hydrated and hopefully provided some emotional support at the checkpoints too. A great achievement – all involved should be congratulated.

Middle School Update

Welcome back to a busy Term3, I trust everyone had a happy and restful break!

Last Wednesday we held a whole school assembly to celebrate NAIDOC Week. The official timing of NAIDOC Week is in the holidays (8-15 July), however this assembly gives our students the chance to recognise the week, and start Term 3, with a knowledge of this year’s theme, ‘Because of her, we can’. Across the country, the week celebrated the significant role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across society. Congratulations to all our Middle School Indigenous Students who received awards and well done to Middle School student speakers, Lillian Behan and Myrisha Bartman who presented on the NAIDOC theme. I’d also like to thank our Indigenous Liaison Team for their on-going work with our Middle School Indigenous Students.

This year’s NAIDOC theme links in well with our House and Care theme for Term 3, Gratitude. Like NAIDOC week, Gratitude helps us to make sense of our past, gives us peace for the present and creates a vision for tomorrow. Be grateful for what you already have. We are lucky to be working and learning in an environment that offers endless opportunities to get involved with our school and wider community in a variety of ways. From sports to public speaking to charity and fund raising, giving back to the community can only enrich and develop us as individuals and as a society. Take the time to think about the many people around the world who are not afforded such opportunities and especially those that are not given equal opportunities within their own society. Don’t waste the ones you are given here at PBC, opportunity is always knocking, the problem is that many people are crippled by self-doubt and, therefore miss a chance to become better than they were yesterday.

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.” ― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Optima Assembly Dates

Year 8 – Monday 30 July
Year 7 - Monday 6 August
Year 9 – Tuesday 7 August

Invitations will be emailed out for students who will be receiving awards.

Year Level Assembly Dates

All students are expected to be at the Hall by 8:45 am on the following days.

Year 7 – Friday 24 August and 14 September
Year 8 – Monday 20 August and 3 September
Year 9 – Thursday 23 August and 13 September

Attendance

Attendance is one of our key priorities as we work towards a target of 95% attendance which equates to 2.5 days off per term. Our intent is that every day counts in the learning process. Whilst this seems like a lot of time it can quickly disappear when families extend holidays or long weekends. Please consider, when planning family time, the impact this will have on your student’s progress.

If you are only absent 1 day per fortnight

• That equates to 5 days absent per term
• 10 days per semester
• A month of schooling in a year

Absences of more than 10 days require a formal exemption from schooling form to be completed.

Every day counts – is your child at school today?

Maximising your student’s learning time will allow us as a school to maximise their success.

Students Leaving Early

To ensure safety, students are not to leave the school grounds at any time after they first arrive until school is dismissed, except with written permission from a parent/caregiver. Leaving early (sign-out) notes need to be written and signed by a parent/caregiver and delivered to the Middle School Student Services prior to 8:45am that day. Notes approved by a Dean of Students should then be collected prior to signing out of school. Non-approved notes and absences may lead to disciplinary action. It is appropriate for you to sign out no more than 3 times a term for an appointment or an activity during school hours. The sign-out note must specify the following:

• The specific reason for signing out (doctors, dentist etc.)
• The time and date that you need to sign out of school
• If a medical appointment, the time, location and professional that you have the appointment with must also be listed

Notes may not be approved if the above information has not been provided.

The signed note must be shown to the class teacher at the requested leaving time. The student reports to Middle School Student Services with the signed note and signs out. If a student becomes ill at school and is sent home a Leaving Slip will be issued. If the student returns later in the day they should report to Middle School Student Services and sign in. Year Coordinators may contact home to query the validity/frequency of appointments during school hours.

Semester 1 Reports

Every parent should now have read their student’s Semester 1 Report, which was emailed to you in late June. Should you have any concerns about your child’s report, do contact their teacher, by email in the first instance. All teacher emails are listed on the PBC website:

Conversations with Students

We strongly encourage students and parents/caregivers to read school reports.

Reports can form the basis of positive, productive conversations between parents and their children. Look for the successes – perhaps an improvement in effort in a challenging subject, or attaining a grade that was previously not possible. Celebrate wins, large and small, in a way that suits your family culture. Even if your pre-teen or teen acts like they don’t really care about their successes, almost all will quietly appreciate the attention.

Setting Goals for Term 3

Students are currently receiving feedback on last term’s assessment and should be setting goals for Term 3. These goals are recorded on the Optima Goal pages (p.4-5) of your student’s Student Planner. Please know what your child is hoping to achieve this term and have conversations with them about how they might achieve their goals. Show their teachers that you have had this conversation by signing in the appropriate column in their Student Planner.

Unibound Program

On Thursday 22 June, around 40 Year 9 students visited Southern Cross University to get a taste of university life. They explored a diverse range of study options, from art to occupational therapy and law, and developed an understanding of the rewards of post-school study. Students were invited to develop an understanding of themselves and their interests through the VIA 24 Character Strengths, a tool we use regularly at PBC in CARE, and this was linked to career options. All of the students said that the day was worthwhile, particularly as they begin to consider their subject choices for Year 10.

CAX / The Arts News

We have a full calendar of events and experiences to offer our Arts community in Term 3 and our Arts staff work exceptionally hard to ensure we provide rich and meaningful opportunities for our students.

Instrumental Music Primary Tour

Last term the Synergy Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra and Stage Band 2 went on tour to Elanora State School, Tallebudgera State School and Currumbin State School. The aim of the tour was to showcase our high performing ensembles and build some excitement amongst our feeder primary school students, and to show them what a wonderful Instrumental music program we have to offer here at PBC. The performances were electric and the primary school students enjoyed the experience thoroughly. We hope to do this again the near future to help musicians transition from primary to high school and to inspire young students to take up an instrument in the future.

Optima Wind Ensemble Workshop

In Week 11, the Optima Wind ensemble were treated to a workshop by the highly acclaimed educator, composer and conductor Doctor Ralph Hultgren. The ensemble were joined by students from St Helena’s Secondary College from Melbourne who were touring to the Gold Coast. Dr Hultgren rehearsed two pieces and discussed many important musical concepts which will no doubt help the ensembles improve on their craft. PBC staff, parents and students understand that nurturing local, interstate and international connections is important in growing and sustaining a strong musical culture here at PBC.

Senior Music Excellence

The Senior Music Excellence students had the opportunity late last term to tour three Brisbane tertiary institutions. Our first stop was JMC Academy in South Brisbane, students engaged in workshops where they learnt how to produce and record original music, as well as compose using industry-standard music software. After a quick bite to eat in South Bank, the students travelled across to Bowen Hills to visit the Jazz Music Academy (JMI). Here we were entertained by some amazing past and present students, and were treated to a short music lecture from the Head of School. Our final destination was QUT Kelvin Grove where the students had a general campus tour, seeing where they could study if they chose to select Creative Industries as their future tertiary pathway. Our senior music students had a great time and were inspired to explore some of the different pathways that are currently available to them.

Year 9 and 10 Media Excellence

The Year 9 and 10 Media Excellence classes took part in the 2018 Gold Coast Film Festival. The Year 9 class travelled to The Arts Centre to watch the animated film “The Window Horses of Paris” and the pseudo-documentary ‘Jeffery’. Meanwhile, the Year 10 students spent the day at Bond University engaging with the Future Film-makers Festival. They heard from Duncan Jones a Gold Coast Location Manager, about his role within the industry and also Screen Queensland Representatives about some of the funding initiatives available to young film-makers.

Creative Generations

Congratulations to Mia Beame who represented PBC at this year’s Creative Generations State Schools on stage as a featured dancer. Mia was selected as a featured dancer against hundreds of other dancers across Queensland. The show had more than 1800 performers and is nationally renowned for its outstanding and vibrant display of State School talent. This experience has given Mia the chance to acquire and develop new skills by working with some of Australia’s leading performers in a world class venue. Mia has a very bright future ahead of her as a professional dancer and the PBC Arts community are excited to celebrate this success with her.

PBC Vocal Group

During the holidays, 8 PBC Vocal Group students, along with Mrs Tassone and Mr Burckhardt, took part in the annual Voices in Paradise event.

Voices in Paradise is a youth workshop with professional education and training by internationally renowned a cappella groups and local coaches. Our students were given the opportunity to experience the thrill of performing live in front of a large audiences alongside a cappella champions, Blindside and Drums of War.

Our students were excellent participants, leading by example and performing at their very best. Congratulations to all who were involved.

Visual Arts

Niall O’Donnell a current year 11 Visual Arts student has had great success at the Darcy Doyle Art Awards which was exhibited over the school holidays on the Gold Coast. Niall’s work won the Senior High School Challenge for Palm Beach Currumbin State High with his portfolio of portraits. This was an incredible achievement as Niall exhibited on his own up against schools who entered student group collections. Niall also was awarded the People’s Choice Award in the High school Challenge for his work “Dad”. Well Done Niall.

The Year 9 Visual Art Excellence class have been creating artworks for the 2019 Young Archibald Awards. Students had to select someone they know and communicate something about their persona. Students were allowed to create in any style or medium that they wanted. Congratulations is in order for creating such amazing work.

Coming up

Looking forward, 5 students from the Year 10 Media Excellence class are entering the ADSPACE competition this Friday where they will compete against a range of schools from Brisbane to pitch the best advertising campaign for their client – the Great Barrier Reef. We wish all the best of luck to our budding advertising executives.

In Week 2, Drama students will enjoy an enriching and creative week as they engage in Physical Theatre Workshops with Jake Williamson (AIM Graduate and PBC Arts Alumni). Jake will lead classes to explore physicality for upcoming performances and assessments. Viral Theatre Company will also perform “Stones” to all Drama Students. The play positions the audience in the role of Jury and allows students to examine issues of youth, crime and punishment.

I am excited to announce that next year we will be offering Visual Arts Excellence to selected Year 8 students. The course is an extension program which is heavily practical-based and students involved will participate in a variety of exclusive activities and workshops designed to enhance their skills. For more information contact Tara Gonzale-Judd via email enrolments@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au

All current Year 9 and 10 Excellence students are invited to attend an Information Evening next Thursday 26 July at 6:30pm, for the 2019 London Arts Tour. We are offering ten positions for each Arts area (dance, drama, visual arts, media and music excellence students) to be a part of a team who travels to London for a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel and experience the rich historical culture that London has to offer.

On Tuesday 24 July you are invited to the Semester 2, Middle School Music Excellence Showcase. This is a chance for a selection of our Year 7, 8 and 9 students to perform for their family, friends and the school community. This event will give a glimpse of the talent that we have in our program. Please join us for the concert which starts at 6:00pm, with nibbles served in our Theatre foyer from 5:30pm. If you wish to attend please email events@pbc-shs.eq.edu.au stating “MS MusicEx” in the subject and advise the number of people who wish to attend.

Loren Skyring
HOD The Arts/Creative Arts Excellence

Mathematics News

The start of Semester 2 is a good time to prompt your child to do a quick stocktake of their equipment. Whether it be needing new notebooks, pens, pencils, rulers or a calculator your child will not be as successful as they could be if they were properly prepared for each lesson.

Middle School

This term Year 7, 8 and 9 mainstream mathematics assessment will consist of both an assignment and an exam. A more detailed breakdown of assessment is available on the PBC-SHS website (click here for more assessment information as well as the PBC Assessment Policy and Application for Extension or Change of Date Form). Please see below for assessment due dates:

Middle School Term 3 Core Mathematics Assessment

Senior School

Year 10

Students this term will be embarking on the next stage of the curriculum changes in maths. They will be completing their first Problem Solving and Modelling Task (PSMT) where students will be posed with a problem where they are expected to mathematise the situation and use the knowledge they have learnt to find solutions to the problem. This task is unique because of its open-ended style and students will be able to show creativity and initiative in MATHS! Teachers will be guiding them through this process hopefully by the end will have some more creative mathematicians. There will be some time in class devoted to completing the task and so if students have access to a laptop during those lessons it would be beneficial.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind students about submission procedures:

• Drafts are compulsory and must be submitted to teachers either via email or hard copy. A copy of the draft will be kept and students will be given individual feedback.
• Students are to submit the assignments to their teacher before 9:00am on the due date to their teacher, either via email or hard copy. Even if absent on the day.
• Extension applications need to go through the HOD at least 48hrs prior to the due date.
• Any late submissions due to absence or for other reasons that have not received an extension will receive a grade based on their draft submission.
• Be proactive so we don’t have to be reactive!

Year 11

Students should now be settled into their chosen maths class and with all Year 11 students completing an exam at the end of term it is a good opportunity to remind everyone of the key attributes of a successful maths student.

1. HOW OFTEN? – how often do you practise? It is widely known that practising 3 x 20 quality minutes per week is vastly more powerful than 1hr all at once. Regular practice is key, whatever it looks like.
2. KNOW YOURSELF – There is a difference between understanding and mastering (being able to answer questions on a test). It is important for a student to be aware of what is required for them to get to that mastering level. What are you doing?
3. SEEKING HELP – Seeking help when it is needed can come in many forms: friends, teachers, notes and tutors. Take the time to ask for help when you don’t understand.
4. DON’T LET IT GO – Many students walk out of a classroom without understanding what they have done in maths but don’t seek help at the next opportunity. They make it the problem of their future self, who is usually overwhelmed with everything else. The most successful students in maths are tenacious and don’t let that problem get passed them.

HOW OFTEN? One of the biggest issues I see with students is that they are trying relearn everything days before the exam. They haven’t spent the time putting the knowledge they have learnt into their long term memory, they haven’t spent the time exercising their brain like they would their muscles training for sport. Regular practice can be one of the most effective tools to improving results and reducing stress with maths.

What is regular Practice?

1. Homework set by the teacher
2. Memory exercises such as flash cards.
3. Reading notes/examples to check for understanding.
4. Independently doing challenge problems

Students can speak with their teacher to find inspiration!

Year 12

A big term for Year 12 and the scariest part is how little time they have! One tip for survival is mentally make deadlines for assessment a week earlier if possible that way the inevitable last minute grind will be earlier and will leave students time to refine and perfect.

PEMDAS? BIDMAS? BODMAS? BOMDAS?

The acronym for learning Order of Operations has many names and lays a foundation for learning how to attack and solve a mathematics problem correctly. Without a strong understanding of the rules of Order of Operations student will struggle with their numeracy. An explanation is detailed in the table below and can be found here

Order of Operations Acronyms Explained

Have a go at using BODMAS/PEMDAS to complete the puzzle below:

Science News

Cutting Edge for Kids

At the end of Term 2, myself and 11 other students were given the opportunity to go to the Cutting Edge for Kids STEM Day at Griffith University to run two workshops. During the day we were accompanied by two wonderful teachers to guide us throughout the process – Ms. McGilvray (our STEM Ambassador coordinator) and Ms. Hyatt - these teachers helped to ensure the day ran smoothly.

The aim of the day was to increase the awareness of STEM in the next generation of students by presenting workshops to Year 5 and 6 students. The two different workshops that we conducted during the day focused on a Forensics Challenge and a Rube Goldberg Challenge. These workshops were presented by us, and were both captivating and hands on for the younger students. It was an incredible experience for us to be able to be in that teaching role and to show our love for STEM to an audience. It gave us practise in public speaking and presenting which will help us in future endeavours. It was a very rewarding experience for us, and the feedback given suggests it was worthwhile for the Year 5 and 6’s too.

Jaime Pryor
Year 10 PBC STEM Ambassador

The other students who also presented the workshops with Jaime were fellow STEM Ambassadors Reef Thompson, Lenis Ikenasio and Bayley d’Hotman de Villiers, along with Isabelle Richters, Kai Meath, Talulah Ratcliffe, Luke Pache, Liam Locher, Jaida Flynn, and Maia Ngatuakana.

Balloon Powered Vehicles

In Term 2 Year 7 students conducted an investigation on forces. Students were required to construct and test a balloon powered vehicle to investigate how forces affect motion. At the end of the term we held our annual Balloon Powered Vehicle Challenge. Each Year 7 class nominated a representative team to compete and the supreme car building team of 2018 was crowned.

Congratulations to the willing duo Zack and Aidon from 7H.

House and Care Update

Year 12 Mystery Tour

Term 2 finished on a high with our first annual Year 12 Mystery Tour. Students were given a list of what to bring and jumped on board Currumbin Valley Coaches to travel to their mystery destination. They found themselves in beautiful Byron Bay where they explored the township, hiked to the light house and spent some quality time enjoying each other’s company. The mystery tour was organised by the House Leaders to congratulate our Year 12’s who displayed consistently high effort and behaviour as well as maintaining high attendance in Years 11 and 12. House Leaders and James McCullagh (Year 12 Coordinator) would like to congratulate these outstanding school leaders and thank them for a great day. The emails we have received from our Year 12’s expressing their gratitude for the day have made our hearts sing.

Being a new annual event, our current Year 11’s should be working hard already, towards their spot on next year’s Mystery Tour: who knows where they’ll end up!

Care Projects

The end of Term 2 also saw the culmination of our CARE program’s Anti-Bullying Campaigns designed by students in Care classes. The level of effort and work produced exceeded all of our expectations. From videos and drama skits, to songs, PowerPoint presentations and amazing artworks, the students and Care teachers embraced the projects with enthusiasm and energy. This project was the first opportunity for ‘sister’ care classes to collaborate, allowing students from Years 7 through 12 to get to know each other and work together towards a common goal. Feedback from both staff and students has been nothing but positive. We look forward to sharing some of the students work with parents and the community.

Gratitude is one of the key concepts underlying Positive Education, on which our CARE program is built. This term students will explore gratitude and again work together to support a charity of their choice. Community projects will support organisations under the banners: humanity, food insecurity and sustainability. We look forward to hearing from special guests from FoodBank Australia who will be visiting this term to help students understand the importance of their organisation. No doubt students will embrace their community project and further develop a sense of community belonging.

House Cup

Being mid-way through the year, the race to lift the House Cup is well and truly on. Vikings currently lead, with Phoenicians, Athenians and Spartans hot on their tails. There are number of competitions this term for students to get involved in, earning valuable participation points for their House. Currently running is our Grateful Heart Photo competition. Students are encouraged to creatively share a photo of something they are grateful for. These photos will be shared on our Inter-House competitions Instagram page. Other competitions for students to look forward to this term include our full school Athletics Carnival, a Chess competition, the annual Paper-Scissors-Rock Off and a Fishing competition. As you can see, there is something for everyone, with participation at the heart of every competition.

The winner of the House Cup will be crowned early Term 4, prior to the departure of our year 12 cohort, so get out there, have a go, participate and help your House to victory!

Athletics Carnival

The Athletics Carnival will be held Friday 3 August and will be an event not to be missed! 2017 saw the mighty Spartans House take home the trophy, but can they do it again? With 100 House points up for grabs, this full school event is one that can make a big difference to the House Cup.

To accommodate all students, Javelin, Discus and Triple Jump events will be held on Thursday 2 August. All students wishing to compete in these events MUST nominate this week! Normal classes will continue on this day. Only those students who have pre-nominated will be permitted out of class to compete in these events.

All other Track and Field events will be held on Friday 3 August. No need to nominate for these events, just come along and participate! We strongly encourage all students to dress up in their House colours to show support and commitment to their team. Don’t forget your sunscreen and hat though! Food will be available for purchase on the day, with all proceeds donated to our 2018 school charity LIVIN. Thank you to our Senior School Council for organising the House Canteen.

On top of the Track and Field events, students have the option to enjoy a range of novelty/carnival activities on the day. Wristbands for these activities will be on sale for $5, the week of the carnival. It is recommended that students purchase their wristband prior to the Carnival. A wristband will permit the student to use equipment such as an inflatable obstacle course, climbing wall and giant slide throughout the day. The Athletics Carnival is always one of the best days of the year, no doubt the 2018 Carnival will be a day of fun, participation and record-breaking Track & Field success!!

Pedagogical Coaching

Pedagogical Coaching – a focus on improving teaching and learning.

A key priority for PBC in 2018 is that ‘we are all maximising our learning and performance’. That is, we are focusing on the quality of our teaching (our pedagogy) so that our students have the best possible chance of maximising their outcomes. One of the strategies is to implement a coaching and feedback model that engages all staff. This is an opportunity for staff to reflect on their pedagogy (their teaching) and to work collaboratively with staff to set goals for future improvement. The two Pedagogy Coaches – Elizabeth Gill and Fiona Scannell – are working closely with staff and the leadership team to facilitate this feedback model and to engage staff in coaching.

What is coaching?

There are many definitions of what coaching in education looks like. Essentially, our role as Pedagogical Coaches is to promote conversations about learning where teachers can reflect on their practice and set clear goals for further improvement. The students and their learning remain at the forefront of these conversations, allowing the teacher to explicitly target what support they require from the coach. Jim Knight describes it beautifully, “in some ways, when coaches and teachers work together, they are like children having fun with modelling clay, as together they reshape each new idea until they can see how it might look in their classroom,” (Instructional Coaching p49). Aside from professional dialogue coaching may involve collaborating, modelling, observing, providing feedback and providing support.

What does this mean for my child?

When professionals sit down to have a focused discussion on improving teaching and learning it can lead to only one thing - enhancing student engagement and achievement. In fact, it leads to better results for students and teachers and parents. By actively seeking feedback on their practice (through observations, classroom profiling or student feedback) the teachers at PBC are modelling to your young person a commitment to lifelong learning and are ensuring that they are delivering the highest standards of education.

Fiona Scannell and Elizabeth Gill

General News

SRS Enrolment Packs - 2019

Please note that the SRS Enrolment Packs for 2019 are due to go out this term. Please ensure you have updated the school with your correct contact details no later than Friday 3 August to ensure your receive your student’s2019 enrolment pack to the correct address.

From the Sports Desk

Winning teams in the inter-school sports A division competitions will now progress through to the Gold Coast finals which will be held at the end of Term 3 after the other Districts have completed their competition seasons.

NAIDOC Assembly

The 2018 PBC NAIDOC Assembly was held on Wednesday 18 July to recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. PBC was honoured to have a number of special guests attend the full-school assembly including Aunty Joyce Summers, Assistant Director General Selwyn Button, Olympic sprinter Patrick Johnson and guest speaker Candace Kruger, the Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives from Beenleigh and Loganlea State High Schools.

The Assembly acknowledged the achievements of our current Indigenous students and offered an insight from Lillian Behan Year 8, Myrisha Bartman Year 9, and Shara Saunders Year 11, who all addressed this year’s NAIDOC theme – Because of Her, We Can. Congratulations to Braith Gausden and Shara who both did an outstanding job as the MC’s for the event.

PBC would like to thank everyone who attended and helped out on the morning including special guests, speakers, parents, staff and students who contributed to a fantastic morning.

South East Asia Tour

PBC’s 2018 South East Asia Tour was a great success. 25 students and 2 teachers embarked on their journey to Vietnam and Cambodia over the holidays, and had the time of their lives. From shopping at the local markets and interacting with the locals, to seeing some of the 7 wonders of the world. They laughed and cried together as they learnt about the history of these beautiful countries and created memories they will never forget, like giving clean clothes to children who have absolutely nothing. This trip was definitely an eye opener and worth considering for future students to participate in.

Netball Preparation for the Vicki Wilson Shield

The Netball Sport Excellence teams built Resilience, Courage and Respect through team building physical activities by Veteran Mentors, a group of Ex-Servicemen who’s experience in the military have shown them that team work, discipline and communication is the key to success. The 3 PBC Netball teams begin their campaign in the Netball QLD Vicki Wilson Shield and Cup next week, and have learned that we are stronger together!

Year 12 Trivia Night

At the end of term 2 PBC once again ran Year 12 ‘Trivia Night’ in the Trade Training Centre. Congratulations and sincere thanks to our outstanding Y12 student leaders and Ms Clipson for organising this fantastic and entertaining event! We had originally hoped for around 100 Year 12 students to attend, but the actual numbers on the night were closer to 200, making the event a resounding success. Not only did everyone who came along have a great time, but the event raised nearly $1000 for charity, and clearly demonstrated the depth of the PBC student community’s attachment to and support for our school. Once again, a huge thank-you to everyone involved!

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

PBC is pleased to announce our involvement in The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award (The Duke of Ed) which will commence in Term 3, 2018. The Duke of Ed is an exciting youth development program that provides young people the opportunity to accept challenges and explore their interests in a program tailored to suit personal circumstances and choices. The Award is both fun and challenging and helps participants’ aged 14 - 25 build confidence and resilience. The Award comprises three levels – Bronze, Silver or Gold. To achieve these awards, participants will complete an Adventurous Journey and regularly commit to three ongoing sections: learning a Skill, participating in a community Service and taking part in Physical Recreation.

The Award provides participants with an opportunity to get involved in something different. They will develop new skills, explore new places and meet new friends. For students in years 10 to 12, they can also earn credits towards the Queensland Certificate of Education. The Awards are increasingly recognised by tertiary institutions and can even help participants with securing a job.

It’s easy to get started as a participant. As the Award Leader I am available to answer any questions or concerns about the program. Further information is also available via the link below.

One of our respected Heads of Department, Tammy Burns will be guiding our young people towards achieving their potential through this highly reputable and internationally recognised Award program. Tammy can be contacted via email tburn87@eq.edu.au

2018 Save Program

Our Year 12 students recently participated in the SAVE Program – a full-day event organised by the QLD Police Service in conjunction with several Emergency Services departments and PBC. The students were exposed to a range of proactive and preventative messages which we hope will prepare them in their lives after school and as active citizens in our community. Particular thanks must go to our fantastic Year 12 students who were involved in a 30-minute dramatic roleplay regarding safe driver behaviour – Kai Johnson, Ruby Gonzales-Judd, Rosie Schoenmaker & Jade Bergsma.

Uniform Shop Trading Hours

Please be advised that the Uniform Shop trading hours are now:

Tuesday 8:15am to 12:30pm
Thursday 8:15am to 12:30pm

Entertainment Books for Sale Now!

PBC is raising funds for our new Library precinct. Order and receive your NEW 2018 | 2019 Entertainment Membership today!

Your 2017 | 2018 Entertainment Membership expired on 1 June 2018. Please continue supporting our fundraising by purchasing the 2018 | 2019 Entertainment Membership from us today. Hundreds of great value offers are ready for your enjoyment, while also helping our fundraising! Be quick, the new Membership is selling fast!

Using just a few of these offers will cover your cost of the Membership!

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.

Rugby League Success

Congratulations to Bailey Martin who received Man of the Match in the QLD Maroon 24 v NSWCHS 8 game in Mackay for the ASSRL U15 National Championships.

Congratulations to PBC Rugby League Sports Excellence program players Tom Dearden, Will Evans and Juwan Compain on representing Queensland at the National Schoolboys Championships at Kingscliff this week. In recognition of the leadership quality of the boys Tom was named captain of the team and both Will and Juwan are the vice captains.

As a result of their performance in this competition we would like to congratulate Thomas Dearden and Juwan Compain who have both been names as members of the Australian Schoolboys team which tours England later in the year. Congratulations boys for a fantastic achievement!

Rhythmic Gymnastics Group Success

Congratulations to PBC Student Tayla Miller who was part of the Gold Medal winning Rhythmic Gymnastics QLD Team that competed at the Junior International Team and All-Round Competition at Hisense Arena in Melbourne last month. The team is now the Australian National Champions for the Junior International Group! Well done Tayla.

Past Student wins scholarship to US University!

Congratulations to Ashleigh Kelly who graduated in 2017. Ashleigh will be going to Gannon University in Pennsylvania USA to study Occupational Therapy. She was awarded a soccer scholarship.

Dates to Remember

PBC Alliance News

Support our PBC Alliance Partners

Thank you to all the wonderful businesses that are 2018 PBC Alliance Partners! The support of these amazing businesses, for our students, is hugely appreciated.

• Glowing Green Australia
• Aurora Training Institute
• Prestige Service Training
• Stone Style
• Griffith University
• Southport Sharks
• Struddys Sports
• Veteran Mentors
• Capital Pest Management
• Currumbin RSL
• Firewire Surfboards
• PFD
• GCU Gold Coast United
• Mighty Minds
• Trade Glass
• Tweed Sea Sports
• Tree Trunk Digital
• MSP Photography
• Retire Me Young
• Fraser Financial Services
• Wilson Haynes Solicitors
• Titan Sports Management
• Burleigh Bears Rugby League
• Currumbin Junior Rugby League

PBC Alliance Business Directory

If you are looking for a product or service 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 PBC.

Would you like to advertise your business in the PBC Alliance Business Directory? Membership is just $25 which includes a business directory listing, invitations to all our events and inclusion on our newsletter database so you can be kept up to date with PBC Alliance news. Head to the link below to sign up!

BYOD

Please see our website for details:

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 from your invoice or statement or Direct Deposit.

For Internet banking please use the details below:

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 credit card payment or to request bank details for direct bank transfer, please telephone the school, or visit Student Services between 8:00am-1:00pm.

SRS Fees

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

Parents/caregivers experiencing financial difficulty can 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 school or Direct Debit via credit card (monthly). Paperwork is available from the Student Services Office to activate either of these plans.

Saver Plus

Community Notices

Southern Cross University Open Day

English Tutoring

Sean Ikin (B. Ed Primary, C.E.L.T.A.)
Private English Tutor
One-on-one or small groups (up to 4)

Specialising in:

• General English Study
• Test Preparation
• Assignment Help – ALL SUBJECT AREAS
• Homework Assistance

Email: sean@kennethcc.com.au
Text or Call: 0411 255 377
Facebook: @ikinlearn