10 June 2015

Principal’s Report

Dear Parents,

Research is clear that students whose parents maintain an active role in their education achieve more than students whose parents don’t. As a parent I am well aware of the challenges that playing an active role presents so I thought I would share some of the strategies I’ve seen parents use as food for thought.

Involved parents:

• Discuss regularly the importance of a good education and the link between doing well at school and establishing a satisfying career
• Work with them to establish goals in each subject. The goals should be carefully selected to be challenging yet attainable
• Maintain awareness of your child’s academic commitments by keeping homework and assessment schedules on the fridge
• Exert the influence required for your child to keep their commitments. Expecting they will not socialise or recreate prior to meeting their study commitments is fair and reasonable
• Develop habits and systems that require your child to be responsible for meeting their obligations – don’t assume responsibility
• Supervise internet access and IT usage (including mobile phones). A student in their bedroom with their door closed and a laptop / phone isn’t always studying
• Don’t allow drinking and negotiate a responsible social schedule – don’t buy the “everyone is going / doing it” line
• Help your child manage their emotions – don’t get sucked into negative thinking as it’s contagious
• Give encouragement but not false praise

My final and perhaps most important observation is that many parents find it difficult to discuss some of these issues with their children. Those that don’t often have a support network find other parents confronting similar issues to confer with. Our P&C is doing a terrific job bringing parents together through running a series of informal coffee meetings and parent information sessions and I encourage you to consider attendance at the next one which is:

Tuesday 16 June, 7.30am in the Trade Training Centre.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Stephen Loggie
Executive Principal

Newsletter Articles

Senior School Update

It was my pleasure to witness the outstanding abilities of our students at the recent school performance of ’13!’ the Musical. The Senior School was extremely well represented in the talented cast and put on a show to remember. I also congratulate all of the students, whose efforts were behind the scenes, working on sets, lighting, music and an array of other design elements that helped in the production of the show.

On an academic note, the Senior School team has been working tirelessly with the Year 12 cohort on their upcoming QCS test. Preparations for the test have included specialised QCS classes once a week, a QCS boost club that runs every Monday morning, QCS Turbo days along with a myriad of resources available on the school drive for students to access. I do encourage all of our OP students and any others intending to sit the QCS test to put aside study time each week to work through past exams and practice questions.

In understanding the pressure that is on students with exams like the QCS and also school exams such as those coming up in shutdown, our Coordinator of Social and Emotional Learning for Senior School, Mr Brent Stockall, recently attended a Positive Schools Conference focusing on several aspects of student wellbeing. Mr Stockall’s biggest takeaway point from the day came in relation to sleep, he writes:

“According to the National Institutes of Health, an average human spends about one third of their life sleeping. Assuming an average human life span of 78 years that equates to about 26 years each person spends sleeping in his lifetime. In a recent lecture delivered by Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, Australian psychologist and prolific author, at the ‘Positive Schools: Mental Health and Wellbeing Conference’; sleep has become the enemy in Western culture. Sleep is often vilified and seen as counter-productive as “one in five Australian high-school students do not get enough sleep and have less than the international guidelines of 9.5 hours for school nights”. However, Dr Carr-Greg proposes that “lack of quality sleep not only affects teens' daily functioning but is also associated with increased risk of serious psychological and physical ill-health including depression, substance abuse, obesity and diabetes.” He suggested that our modern, technologically driven lives have created a world where our natural patterns of sleep have been disrupted as there is evidence to suggest that people in third world countries who have limited access to technology in fact have a better night’s sleep. Insufficient sleep means teens not only perform worse in the short-term, but there are long-term implications. “REM, or stage five sleep, is the time when the brain consolidates the information that’s been taken in during the day, and if kids don’t get enough of that REM sleep, they are simply not going to be able to process the information and consolidate it,” Dr Carr-Gregg says. “So it actually impairs their learning as well. My view is that sleep is the single most important study tool going around.”

If parents would like to know more about this research or Dr Carr-Gregg’s tips for improving sleep habits, please follow the link below:

Alyce Cleary
Acting Director Senior School

Assessment

The Senior Schooling exam timetable is published on the school website under the curriculum then testing and assessment tab. Shutdown commences for Year 11 and 12 students on Thursday 18 June. Year 10 shutdown commences on Wednesday 24 June. During shutdown students only need to attend school for scheduled exams or VET catch up. Students need to be in full school uniform to sit exams.

Students in VET (Vocational Education and Training) subjects need to ensure that they are up to date with their VET competencies by end of term. Students who are behind will be required to attend school during shutdown to catch up on missing work. These students will be informed of the appropriate catch up sessions by their teacher and parents will be sent a letter.

Reminders:

• Parents and students are again reminded that the school will continue to schedule exams in the last week of each term as this maximises the amount of classes that students have to prepare for the assessment.
• Parents are reminded that students will not be able to sit exams early. The school assessment policy is published on the school website.
• Exams and assessment will be conducted up to and including Thursday 25 June.
• The school track and field carnival will be conducted on Friday 26 June.

Diploma in Business

As per last year, the school will offer a Diploma in Business course for Year 11 students to commence in Term 3. This 18 month course will be conducted after school by an outside provider (Careers Australia) two afternoons per week. The fee for this course is $2000; payable direct to Careers Australia.

Successful completion of a diploma earns a QTAC rank of 82 which is equivalent to an OP of 9. This will also provide a pathway to University and up to a year’s credit in business degrees. This may mean very significant future savings on the cost of university degrees.

Students who are enrolled in this course will be able to apply for a spare so they can manage their workload.

An information evening will be conducted on Tuesday 9 June from 6:30pm in Y block with representatives from Careers Australia.

To register your interest or to obtain more information please contact Mr. McDougall or Ms Halford in the Senior School Year

Certificate III in Business

Year 12 students who have a predicted OP of 15 to 25 (and will most likely not be offered a tertiary placement) have the option to commence a Certificate III in Business with the College of Australian Training. The Certificate III attracts a QTAC rank of 68 which is equivalent to an OP of 15. This will enable students the opportunity to commence tertiary study in 2016.

This course has a rolling intake meaning that students can commence this course at any time over the next ten weeks. The course has a fee of $500 and involves attending the College of Australian Training for one day a week (usually Wednesday). Students involved in this course will be given a spare line to enable them to manage their workload.

Please contact Mr McDougall for further information regarding this course.

QCS Turbo sessions

Year 12 students had successful turbo sessions during Period 1 and 2 on Friday. These sessions are designed to improve the performance of students in the upcoming practice tests for the QCS writing task and multiple choice tests on Thursday 25 June.

The Queensland Core Skills test (QCS) is critical to the outcome of all OP students. The performance of the Year 12 cohort on the QCS test is used to compare subjects and students across the state and put students in a rank order from 1 to 25. As such the QCS test is the most important assessment piece for OP students this year.

All Year 12 OP students should ensure that they are focused and engaged in QCS Turbo sessions and QCS classes. They should also be aiming to attend all QCS boost sessions and striving to perform at their best in all QCS practice tests.

12 QCS/OP boost sessions

These sessions are conducted on Monday mornings from 8:00am in the Trade Training Centre (coffee/tea and toast provided). The next session is QCS boost on Monday 8 June followed by OP boost on Monday 15 June.

The QCS boost session is designed to extend our better performing students to ensure the QCS average and range is improved. This will significantly improve the number of OP 1 to 5s achieved. Students who have been regular attenders have seen a significant boost in their test performance. It is strongly recommended that QCS students attend these sessions.

The OP boost session looks at students predicted OPs and how students can improve them and which subject has the most potential for students to improve their OP. This in conjunction with improving the QCS performance will help to lift each students’ OP.

Mick McDougall
HOD Senior School

Middle School News

Setting Expectations of Yourself to Improve

Over the last week I have been delivering a very important message to our Middle School students through their weekly year level assembly. This message has been about setting high expectations for yourself and committing to following through on those expectations. This is a key reason why we ask our students to set their aspirational learning goals in their OPTIMA Plan in their diary.

For many of us, setting an aspirational goal is very easy. The difficult part is being disciplined enough to change our way of operating to give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve that goal. Parents can support this message by following up with their child about what “they will do differently” to achieve their learning goals.

“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” (Michael Jordan)

Blair Hanna
Director of Middle School

Be Respectful; Uniform

Being respectful is one of the global expectations of our school. In addition to the global expectation we also have explicit expectations around our uniform and behaviour.

Wearing the school uniform correctly is part of being respectful at PBC. Our school’s image and reputation are first determined by how our students look and then how they act. Our strict enforcement of the uniform code means that the first impression people get of our school, and of your students, is extremely positive.

This positive regard is important for our students as they transition out of PBC into the workforce.

At present some Middle School students are wearing white undershirts. If students wear undershirts they need to be of a “V” neck type and tucked in. Visible undershirts are not part of our school uniform and students will be given a consequence for wearing them.

Jumpers are also an issue at this time of year. Only the approved school jumper, with logo, is to be worn. These are available from the uniform shop. Students will be asked to remove non-school jumpers.

You can help by ensuring that your student is always dressed in the correct uniform before coming to school in the morning.

Peter O’Brien
Deputy Principal Middle School

Being Busy Verses Being Stressed

End of assessment semester will soon be upon us. Some students find this a particularly challenging time, especially if multiple assessment pieces over a short time span is a new experience for them.

A useful way to phrase discussion with your young person about this is that they will be busy, but they should not be stressed. A busy student has many demands on their time. They are completing the allocated home work each night, as well as undertaking their own study and review of topics, and work on assignments. The busy student has their assessment due dates written up and placed in a space that the whole family can see. They know what is due, and when. They set about tasks in ‘baby steps’, doing a little at a time and in a logical way. They ask their teachers for assistance early when they do not understand.

The stressed student doesn’t do homework or hasn’t written it down. They don’t study until the night before the test, or may not even know there is a test coming up! The stressed student looks at a large task and puts off starting work on it. They don’t let the teacher know that they are struggling with concepts.

Students should expect to be busy – there is no other option when you are striving to achieve your best. Key things that Middle School students should be doing now to avoid being stressed are:

• Use the Student Planner effectively
• Have assessment dates clearly displayed at home
• Break tasks into achievable chunks and work methodically on these
• Start writing summaries and study notes for exams
• Stay in touch with teachers when work is difficult

These strategies, in combination with good habits around sleep, diet and exercise, should help your young person maintain a sense of control over the coming busy weeks.

Southern Cross University Visit

Recently, a group of Year 9 students had the opportunity to visit Southern Cross University’s Gold Coast campus to experience ‘Uni-Bound’. The aim of the day was to demystify university and to encourage and support the interest and aspiration of these students. The students developed their understanding of higher education as a viable post-school option, and completed activities on study skills and critical thinking. They also had opportunities to experience university-style teaching by participating in courses as diverse as occupational therapy, exercise science, midwifery and mathematics. It is hoped that the students not only enjoyed their day, but also went home thinking about where their own journeys at PBC might lead them.

Sharon Hillcoat
HOD Middle School

Dean of Students Report

“The first step of any journey is often the most difficult”. I’m not sure who said this but it certainly rings true for me. At this stage of the year, students will have received a fair degree of feedback from their teachers that relates to their school life. It may be regarding assessment, behaviour or even suggestions around friendship groups. This feedback invariably requires them to make some sort of change. Changes to study habits at home, changes to organisation and attitude and even changes to friendship groups.

It is often the first step of these changes that are the most difficult for students in the middle years to make. They will require assistance from parents/guardians and even staff at school. We encourage you to keep the lines of communication open with your child’s teachers and to our support team here at school. Sometimes the first step may be asking for assistance. Please don’t hesitate to make contact with the school no matter what the issue.

Paul Bullpitt
Dean of Students

General Enrolment Information Evening

The year is passing quickly and the minds of many Year 6 parents are turning to secondary school options. Palm Beach Currumbin State High has established itself as one of Queensland's leading high schools with a proud record of academic, sporting and artistic achievement.

At the heart of this success is our school culture, which is woven around our school motto 'Nil Sed Optima' which means 'nothing but the best'. On a day-to-day basis our culture demands that every student and member of staff do their best in every lesson, every day.

PBC is holding a General Enrolment Evening where parents and current Year 6 children can tour PBC and find out more about our offerings and expectations. The transition to high school and the enrolment process will also be explained.

When: Wednesday 10 June 2015
What: School Tours from 6:00 pm
Presentation 6:30 pm
Where: School Theatre, Thrower Drive Palm Beach

For students and parents who reside within our catchment area and are not applying for entry into an Excellence Program.

To book your seat for the Year 7 2016 General Enrolment Information Evening, please email Lyn Bortolin at lbort5@eq.edu.au or call 07 5525 9340.

We look forward to meeting your families!

Study Skills Update

During Week 5, Year 9 students had the opportunity to participate in a time management workshop run by Elevate Education. PBC has employed the services of Elevate Education, a highly respected and independent provider dedicated to improving school and student achievement. Having carried out an exhaustive process of benchmarking the study habits of thousands of past students, this organisation has identified a number of areas where the practices of the top students differ from average or lower performing students. It is their belief and experience that any student can improve their marks by tapping into, replicating, and using these study skills and techniques.

The time management workshop showed students how to work consistently and complete larger tasks. For most students, the approach of ‘doing it the night before’ doesn’t work anymore, the seminar demonstrated how to break bigger tasks down into manageable amounts of work, whilst also showing students how to prioritise.

Year 12 students will get a chance to improve their performance at the start of Term 3, when Elevate present the finishing line workshop. The purpose of this workshop is to give students a motivational boost, and an opportunity to ask questions that are specific to their own circumstances. During the workshop students are asked to identify their own weaknesses and areas of improvement, and the presenters address these skills. Each finishing line workshop is different and designed based on the students in attendance, though topics covered could include setting or reassessing short term goals, working effectively throughout an exam period, and promoting healthy study patterns to boost productivity.

Finishing line will be running for all Year 12 students on a voluntary basis for a small fee of $10.00. This workshop is strongly recommended for Academic Excellence students and the cost for these students will be covered by the Academic Excellence department.

The workshop will be held in the PBC Theatre Tuesday 14 July 2015 from 7.30am – 8.30am with payments to be made to Student Services (Academic Excellence students need only RSVP their intention to attend to sbann30@eq.edu.au) by Friday 26 June 2015. We believe the long term benefits are well worth the short term effort required on this day.

Courtney Underwood
Study Skills Coordinator

Education Access Centre News

Year 7-9 Learning Support and Literacy and Numeracy (LAN) classes

A challenge for educators is to improve student performance so that every student can learn and succeed. At PBC, we value our diverse learners; the School Executive has prioritised for all Learning Support and LAN classes to also have a teacher aide present in every lesson. This will further support the teaching staff and students in their Core Key Learning Areas.

This month, Year 7 Learning Support and Academic Excellence students collaborated in peer mentoring on their English narrative task. During the drafting stage of the assessment, two classes of Academic Excellence students joined with the two learning support classes to create and edit stories about Ned Kelly. The students really enjoyed the experience and look forward to doing it again next term!

This term, the Year 7 Literacy and Numeracy (LAN) classes have changed their focus from NAPLAN preparation to curriculum support. These students have one class of literacy and one class of numeracy support each week where they revise and practice skills required to complete assessments in their English and Maths classes. We have a fantastic new teacher this term, Jack Ford, who has become a valuable member of the team.

During Term 2 English classes, Year 8 students have been focussing on indigenous perspectives in poetry and song. The skills required in this area include the ability to determine the message of a text, explain the effect of figurative language devices and providing evidence to support this perspective. In our LAN lessons we have been developing these skills by using a range of songs from a variety of music genres. In the second half of this term we will be revisiting the message of the songs, and watching the music clips to discuss whether the multimodal devices selected effectively enhance the overarching message. We are also practising writing our TEEL paragraphs as required in the assessment task.

The numeracy focus for this term has been algebraic expressions and area. This is a challenging area for many students and we have been working hard to remember algebraic rules and the formulas required to determine the perimeter and area of various shapes. LAN students are actively engaged in improving the knowledge, skills and understanding required to achieve a “C” standard in the current assessment tasks.

Year 9 LAN students are focussing on developing their writing skills in the area of Speculative Fiction for their Term 2 assessment task. The LAN lessons are supporting the development of story ideas, characters and plot as well as the specific skills to include dialogue and tense in this genre of writing.

During numeracy focus lessons, the students are learning how to use Pythagoras’ Theorem to determine the length of unknown sides in triangles and solve worded problems using trigonometry.

Every day counts

Learning support classes are made up of individually selected students. A major part of this selection process is high attendance. Learning support students are expected to attend school every day so that their learning and academic success can be maximised.

Parents are asked to support their child’s good attendance habits by:

• Ensuring students arrive to school on time and every day
• Providing written notification of absence to Student Services or Year Coordinator
• Contacting their teacher or Year Coordinator to discuss ways PBC can support improved attendance habits.

Working together with parents to improve outcomes for each learning support student is paramount to us at PBC.

Year 7 Reading Every Day for Success (RED4S)

Term 2 has continued with our reading of “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.” This book has provided a great deal of discussion amongst the Year 7 Learning Support students and has been a great springboard for sequencing skills and reading for enjoyment. Participation of students in these groups is always enthusiastic and this has provided a wonderful situation for the development of personal reading skills in the areas of decoding and improved comprehension.

Year 7 and 8 QuickSmart

QuickSmart has been extremely busy in Term 2 with forty students from Years 7 and 8 participating in the Literacy Intervention Program. A number of stories have been covered this term. A favourite with the students is called ‘Kitchen Slime’. They have had fun making and observing how this Non-Newtonian substance acts both as a solid and a liquid. The focus words from this unit has helped understanding of scientific terminology which is used frequently in science lessons.

Year 7-12 Murri Jarjum Education

Congratulations to all year levels on achieving 90% attendance or better in Term 1! To ‘Close the Gap’ it is vital every Murri Jarjum student is here every day, in every lesson and learning to improve their school outcomes and opportunities to pathways post school.

Our recent Term 2 Murri Jarjum Award Breakfast assembly was held to recognise and celebrate the special achievements accomplished by the students in both the Middle and Senior Schools. It was great to see so many family members, friends and staff supporting the students on their academic endeavours. PBC congratulates the following Murri Jarjum students for their excellence in academic achievement in Term 1:

Year	Top Achiever	High Achievers	Most Improved
7	Ezra Hayes	Isabella Lee Jessica Loring	NA
8	Charli Hart	Bridie Prater Chelsea Freeman	NA
9	Kai Sampson	Kacey Meehan Braith Gausden	Jayke O’Connor
10	Summa Mount	Kyla Peacock Britney Noffke Blake Roberts	James Harris Lachlan Hamilton
11	Giselle Kilner-Parmenter	Charlie Duke Angel Weatherall	Kobe Parsons
12	Brent Woolf	Sally Treveton Fletcher Harrold	Brodie Lamos-Freestone

As Term 2 progresses, the indigenous cohort at PBC are working hard to extend themselves in the classroom and improve their overall results. This week, the mid-term indigenous reports will be sent out to all parents and guardians, highlighting student progress so far this term. Please use this as a platform to have a conversation with your student regarding improvement.

In Week 6, 22 Murri Jarjum students from Years 9, 10 and 12 participated in the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) at Bond University. This is an excellent Australia wide program that provides our Murri Jarjum students with an opportunity to work with Indigenous leaders and undergraduate Bond University students as their mentors. The Bond students volunteer to be mentors for the year with two to three Murri Jarjum students per mentor for each session. Other schools in the Gold Coast Region also participate in this program with PBC. The next AIME day will be in Week 8 for Years 9 to 12. Students in Year 9 enjoyed their team activity of building towers to find the highest marshmallow! All students were able to reflect on their cultural identity and future aspirations and sharing their story with other indigenous students.

We are encouraging all indigenous students and families to like the PBC Facebook page so we are able to share special Murri Jarjum events.

Term 3 is our NAIDOC assembly Wednesday 15 July. All are welcome to attend.

Wendy Wise
HOD EAC

Science Department News

Balloon Cars

Year 7 science students are currently studying a physics unit examining force and motion. The assessment for this unit requires students to design and construct a balloon powered vehicle to investigate how forces affect the motion of the vehicle.

Students have to apply their understandings of friction, air resistance and centre of gravity to design and construct their vehicles and have been enjoying every minute of it. Over the next few weeks students will move into the testing phase of the assessment as they endeavour to modify their vehicle so it will travel further.

The assessment will culminate in a written scientific report and a year level celebratory competition between classes in Week 10. Awards will be granted for best design and furthest distance travelled.

Bianca Deague
Year 7 Science Coordinator

STEM News – PBC Trivia Event

Our PBC STEM ambassadors work in conjunction with Griffith University to increase interest in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics here at PBC.

Year 9 students, Annika Danielsen and Amy Cooper, along with Year 10 students Amelia Cody-Byfield, Darcy d’Hotman de Villiers, Shelby Craik and Elise Watkins were selected to be our Ambassadors due to their dedication, contribution and leadership in science.

This talented bunch created our very first PBC STEM trivia event which was held last week. The trivia event was run over three days, with 13 teams competing from Years 7 and 8, eight teams from Years 9 and 10 and 11 teams from Years 11 and 12. Our STEM ambassadors planned, and ran our trivia days and provided a fun, exciting environment for all students who participated.

Prizes included lots of chocolates, lollies, handballs, along with $5 tuckshop vouchers for the winning team members, and lucky door prize winners. Thanks to the Palm Beach Currumbin Leo’s Club who donated $50 toward prizes.

Many thanks to all of the students who took part in this event, as well as the teachers and Mr Loggie who challenged our seniors. The next step is to come up with PBC teams to compete in the Gold Coast Science Trivia Challenge

Congratulations to the members of our winning teams:

• Years 7/8 - The Chicken Nuggets Team (Year 7) – Lauri Galliano, Robbie James, Reef Thompson, Amelia Nelson and Mayella Bignell.
• Years 9/10 – Chan Team – (Year 10) - Chan Dick, Connor Forbes, Damien Brewer, Finn Light-Law and Matt Bowles.
• Years 11/12 – The Bestest Team (Year 12) – Ruben Kara-Manning, Tanisha Burnett, Jack Glendenning and Ned Humphries.

Keep your eyes and ears open for future events!

Mrs I’Anson
STEM Coordinator

PBC Musical ’13!’ a Huge Success

13! A New Musical was a huge success, showcasing the talents of the 50 students involved. Whether they were responsible behind the scenes, on stage or in the band, they have worked for many months, alongside our staff, to present an incredibly entertaining show. Four performances over three days gave audiences a glimpse of what life is like through the eyes of teenager Evan Goldman and his friends.

These students have made us proud, rising to the challenge to be able to perform in a different space, and to challenge themselves to become more well-rounded performers in the Musical Theatre genre.

A big thank you goes to all the students involved, to everyone who came and supported our cast and crew, and especially to the teachers, parents and sponsors who made the whole event possible.

We would also like to commend the students for their commitment to this performance whilst maintaining a focus on their school studies.

Bek Shinn and Shane Roberts
CAX Coordinator and HOD The Arts

Voices in Paradise

Voices in Paradise is a youth vocal program for 14 to under 30 year olds, held annually at Griffith University. PBC has attended this workshop for the past two years, which I have luckily been able to be a part of, thanks to Mrs Kristina Tassone.

This workshop includes students learning A Capella pieces, through an all day workshop at Griffith University and a night performance at the Gold Coasts Arts Centre, which is led by professional Australian and New Zealand A Capella groups, starring Ginger&Tonic and Musical Islander Boys. PBC selected 15 students form the PBC Vocal Group to take a part of this amazing experience.

Madison Williams
Year 12 Student

Student Principal for a Day

This week nine students from Years 7 to 12 took over the important role of ‘Principal’ as part of the Student Principal for a Day program.

The day started with an assembly preparation meeting with Executive Principal, Mr. Loggie, and the Middle and Senior School Directors. The Student Principals for a Day put together messages about the School Musical, general notices including attendance, litter, and uniforms, and outlined the program for the day.

Other activities for the day included lunch duty, classroom walk-throughs, leading the directors meeting, and visiting classrooms.

Year 7 student, Jessica, said that she had enjoyed the day as it has been interesting to fill-in the shoes of a principal. Doing classroom walk-throughs and conferences opened Jessica’s eyes to the staff’s responsibilities and what they have to do to keep the school running smoothly every day.

The Student Principals for a Day agreed that they would recommend this experience for students wanting to be more involved in leadership roles as they can gain an insight into what being a leader involves on a day to day basis.

Year 10 students Cory, Elaine and Aimee said “We would encourage all students looking for an opportunity in leadership to apply next year.”

The day was coordinated by the Principal’s Australia Institute to focus the nation’s attention on the value and importance of quality school leadership.

The Collage – ANZAC poster

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

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

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

Pathways Centre News

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

Cert III Hospitality –

Café by the Bridge, Café Caribou Tugun, Olives Pizza and Pasta, Ocean Art Café and Gallery, The Deck Café Currumbin, Hard Rock Café, Tugun Surf Club, Crust Pizza Broadbeach, The Lake Café and Bar, Crema Espresso Robina and Pacific Fair, Dumpling Republic Robina.

Jupiters Casino Broadbeach –

School based traineeship opportunities in all areas. A guest speaker will be coming soon to assembly. See Ms Shreeve to give your expression of interest.

Work Experience –

Direct Hire, small engine mechanics.

Cert III Sport and Rec –

Miami and Burleigh Pools includes Pool life Guard, First Aide and CPR

Traineeships -

Wendy’s The Pines, immediate start.

Greencross Vets –

Cert II Animal Studies applications open for 2016 school based traineeship program.

Expressions of interest –

Bunnings Warehouse Burleigh. Year 10 students only.

TRAINING AWARDS –

Applications are open for the 2015 South East Region Training Awards. All eligible trainees who have received a letter in the mail recently and would like to submit an application please collect your application pack from the Pathway Centre Y Block ASAP.

Love your current job? Would you like to turn it into a traineeship? Come to the Pathway centre and let’s see if we can create a traineeship for you in your current role.

The Pathway Centre is open before school and first break to apply for any of the above positions

Please see Ms Shreeve to apply.

Sonia Shreeve
Industry Liaison Officer

Guidance Officer News

Bond University – Upcoming Information

Join us on at Bond University Open Day on Saturday 25 July between 2.00pm – 6.00pm for an all-access afternoon, followed by live music featuring Tijuana Cartel until 8.00pm. To find out more please visit the Bond University website.

Year 11 and 12 – June Experience Days

• Wednesday, June 17 – Psychology Day
• Thursday, June 18 – Architecture Day
• Thursday, June 18 – Environments, Planning and Urban Design Day

Any students interested in attending any of these Experience Days, please visit bond.edu.au/experience and ensure that they register to secure their place. Please then notify the Guidance Officer that you will be attending.

Scholarship Applications open

Each year Bond University awards a number of tuition remission scholarships to the nation’s best and brightest students. Offering up to 100% of tuition fees, scholarships are awarded to students who have excelled in the areas of academia, leadership, community and sport.

Applications are open online now and close Friday, July 31. Students who apply during this time will not only be considered for a scholarship, but will also be eligible for our early offer round.

To learn more about the Bond University Scholarship Program or to apply, visit www.bond.edu.au/scholarships or call 07 5595 1111 to speak to a Student Advisor.

Scholarship Information

Please visit the websites below to view scholarship information for these universities:

Career Profile

Don’t know what you want to do when you leave school? Go to www.myfuture.edu.au and sign up for ‘My career profile’ – your personalised career exploration service.

As you complete activities, the system will start compiling occupations that might suit you based on the information you have entered. The more activities you complete, the more accurate and better suited your career profile will become.

The first five activities from the sidebar menu contribute towards generating your suggested occupations. Start with the Interests or Skills activity and build your profile from there.

Sign up today!

Steve Jones
Guidance Officer Senior School

Transform Your Life through Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a special way of paying attention that can help with how you cope with everyday life or deal with tough times, and there are great benefits for your physical and mental health.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is about training yourself to pay attention in a specific way.

When a person is mindful, they:

• Focus on the present moment
• Try not to think about anything that went on in the past or that might be coming up in future
• Purposefully concentrate on what’s happening around them
• Try not to be judgemental about anything they notice, or label things as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’

We spend so much time thinking about things that has happened in the past, or worrying about things that may happen in the future, that often we actually forget to appreciate or enjoy the moment.

Mindfulness is a way of bringing us back to experience life as it happens.

When you’re mindful, it:

• Helps clear your head
• Helps you be more aware of yourself, your body and the environment
• Helps to slow down your thoughts
• Slows down your nervous system
• Helps you to concentrate
• Helps you relax
• Can help you cope with stress and improve your memory.

Make a commitment to yourself to trial the Mental Stillness (mindfulness program http://www.mentalstillness.org/download-modules) for 6-8 weeks daily (optional two minute, five minute or ten minute videos).

Anna Willis
Guidance Officer Middle School

School Based Youth Nurse Notes

Please see attached information about head lice and treatments. It is important to repeat the treatments again after seven days, ensure all linen is washed and hair to be tied back and possibly plaited while at school.

Judy Nunn
School Based Youth Nurse

Uniform Shop Update

Uniform Shop Trading Times – Term 2 2015
Monday to Friday	8:15am to 10.30am
Closed 1st lunch break

Jumpers

The PBC knitted jumper is now available to be purchased from the Uniform Shop. Cost is $48.

Tracksuit pants

Tracksuit Pants are now available to be purchased from the Uniform Shop. Cost is $55. Please be aware that we have limited stock. Small and medium sizes have sold out.

Bucket hats/ PBC caps

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

PBC school bags

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

Features include:

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

Volunteers needed

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

Please contact Mandy on 55259331 for further details.

Lost property

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

Payment methods available:

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

If you are unable to come into the Uniform Shop you are more than welcome to call on 07 55259331 and pay for any uniform item over the phone.

Mandy Webb
Uniform Shop Coordinator

Administration

For Internet banking please use the details below:

School’s Bank Account: PALM BEACH CURRUMBIN SHS General A/C
BSB Number: 064-404 CBA Branch Burleigh Heads
Account Number: 00090303
Reference/Details: Record both Student ID AND the reference Code to ensure your payment can be recorded correctly. (Reference Code = ITEM BEING PAID FOR e.g.: 2015 SRS8 or 2015 ACEX10)

Resources and Activities Schedule

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

Student Fee Excursion/ Activity	Activity Details	Amount Due	Date Due
Course Fees
Student Resource Scheme	2015 Fees Year 7 to Year 12	$330	1st instalment overdue
Student Resource Scheme	2015 Fees	$165	2nd instalment overdue
Excellence Program Fees	Excellence program 2015 students	Various	Overdue
2015 Instrumental Music Program	Years 9-12	$75.00	Overdue
QCS 2015	Year 12 students	$50.00	Overdue
Interschool Sport	Interschool Sport 2015	$100	Overdue
Advanced Surfing	Advanced Surfing students	$180	Overdue
2015 Music Camp	Music students	$200.00	Due now
CGen Excursion	CGen students	$28.00	Due now
Oceanic District Cross Country	All year levels	$10.00	Due now
Regional Cross Country	All year levels	$16.00	Due now
Finishing Line Workshop	Year 12 students	$10.00	Due now
Regional Surfing	All year levels	$30.00	Due now
Year 11 Cert II Public Safety	Year 11 students	$60.00	Overdue
Please note that all students are requested to present their Student ID card when making any payments to Student Services.

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

Lost Property

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

Student lockers available

Student lockers are available for hire at PBC.

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

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

Second Hand Uniforms

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

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

PBC Alliance

Business Directory

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

Get involved

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

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

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

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

Like us on Facebook:

QParents

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

QParents enables parents to access and manage student:

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

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

Leo Club News

It was a pleasure for the Leo club to donate money to support one of their own members. Corben Thorsby, a Year 10 student and a member of the Leo club was presented with a cheque from the Leo club to support his representation at the Queensland Youth Parliament.

As Member for Currumbin, he will be a part of the Education and Arts committee along with ten others. Corben will be involved in writing a Bill to be presented to the Parliament and the committee’s proposal involves implementing life skills and compulsory community services as well as health classes in schools from Years 7 to 12. As part of the proposal students who exceed the required amount of hours for community service by the end of Year 12 could use this achievement to support their OP scores.

The generous donation will help support Corben with transport and accommodation expenses while he participates in the Queensland Youth Parliament. The Leo club wishes Corben all the best in his endeavour as a young parliamentary member and were very happy to support such a deserving student.

PBC Leo Club member

Completion of Oral Health (Dental) Services

Gold Coast Oral Health Services will commence offering free oral health (dental) services to eligible students enrolled at Palm Beach Currumbin High School starting 26 May 2015. This service will be provided Onsite by Mobile Dental Van 185.

To arrange an appointment for your child telephone:

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

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

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

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

Wildlife Expo