2016 Graduation Program

5:00 pm- 6:00 pm Arrivals and Photos

6:00 - 6:30 pm

Doors Open for Seating

6:30pm Graduation certificate and farewell gift presented by Principal, Mrs Jan Carr and P & C representative,

Welcome speech by school captains, Hayley Thomas & Sean Kelly

7:00 pm

Dinner Served

7:45pm Speech by Head of Senior School, Mr Robbie Williams

8:00pm

Dessert Served

8:30pm Thank You speech by Vice Captain,

Alyssa Barry Senior Video

8:45 pm Dancing

10:30 pm

Ceremony concludes

Year 11 To hit the ground running next year, it is expected that grade 11 students would have created access to their learn-ing accounts. All senior students in Queensland have a learning account on the Student Connect website: www.studentconnect.qcaa.qld.edu.au Your student learning account is the place where your senior secondary enrolments and results are recorded, as well as when and where you studied. You can use your learning account to:

Check your personal details

View your enrolments

Track your progress towards your QCE attainment

Check you eligibility for a QCE and OP

Find out your final results, including your OP and

Field Positions How do I log into my learning account? You need your 10-digit Learner Unique Identifier (LUI) and initial password to log into your learn-ing account. This can be found on your Oneschool account. Your initial password is your day and month of birth in ddmm format. For more information, come to B13. Try on leavers shirts Year 11 students currently have the opportunity to try on sizes to purchase their senior shirts and jerseys in B13. The try on shirts will be available for only a short time. Also a reminder that payment for both garments are due by the 25th of November.

From The Principal

Personal Excellence, Successful Futures Respect...Quality...Honesty...Safety

Issue 17 - 2016

Upcoming Events

Thursday, 10th November until Saturday 12th

November - Modern History Excursion

Friday, 11th November - Year 12 Graduation

Tuesday, 15th November - Presentation Evening 6.30pm Thursday, 17th November

- Year 12 End of Year Excursion

Friday, 18th November - Year 12 Last Day - Farewell

Parade 9am Friday, 25th November -

Year 10 & Year 11 Last Day of School for 2016

85 Sheppards Street

PO Box 66

Gordonvale Qld

4865

Phone: (07) 4043

3222

Fax: (07) 4056

3990

Email:

admin@gordonvalehigh.eq.edu.au

Web:

www.gordonvalehigh.eq.edu.au

Final Week for Year 12 Students

Next week is indeed a week of mixed emotions for our year 12 students. All year 12

students must be in full school attendance until Friday 18th November. Tuesday 15th,

Wednesday 16th and Thursday 17th November, students will participate in a range of

planned social activities. Friday 18th students will be farewelled in a formal whole

school assembly between 9am – 10am. Parents and carers are most welcome to share

this exciting time with us.

Immediately following the formal farewell, parents, guests and year 12 students will be ushered to the

Gordonvale Primary School to partake in light refreshments before final farewells. Year 12 students will

be dismissed soon after the final ceremony. Again this year, I stress to all our year 12 students to take

care, especially whilst leaving the school area in cars on Friday.

We are all working hard to ensure all our Year 12 students complete the year successfully. The

Queensland Certificate of Education is issued to all students who fulfil the requirements set out by the

QCAA (The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority). Fundamental to these requirements

are: Core, Literacy, Numeracy, and a total credit of 20.

To earn the required 20 credits, students need to “bank” credits - a semester of successful Year 11 or

12 study earns one credit, so passing English Communication at the end of Year 12 results in 4 credits:

the important point is SUCCESSFUL - this means that at least a C result is required, a D or E for

Semester 4 will result in zero credits for that subject. This is true of all subjects.

Certificate courses such as Certificate II Outdoor Recreation also earn 4 credits upon completion: they

must be completed 100% to earn the credits.

Core is often the most difficult factor of the QCE. Twelve of the credits must come from courses or

subjects studied: for example, our students may gain Core from 2 years of English, Maths, and a

Certificate II, an OP Pathway student may earn credit from 2 years study of English, Maths, and

Chemistry.

QCE eligibility is ensured when students enrol in a senior program at Gordonvale State High School,

and:

• Attend every day

• Complete all set tasks, homework, and assessments

• Pass all their subjects

Online release of results Last year, for the first time, students’ individual QCS Test grades were

released prior to senior certification in December. This

year, test grades will again be released early.

From 9 am on Wednesday 16th November students will

be able to access their individual QCS Test grade —

from A to E — in their learning account on the Student

Connect website: https://

studentconnect.qcaa.qld.edu.au

Students’ QCS Test grades will be confirmed on the

Senior Statement they receive as part of their Senior

Education Profile sent to them in December.

Jan Carr

Science News

Release of Year 12 results, OPs and FPs

From 9 am on Saturday 17th December, all results contributing to the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), OPs and FPs will be

available in student learning accounts on the Student Connect website: https://studentconnect.qcaa.qld.edu.au

From Monday 19th December, students will begin receiving their Senior Education Profiles in the mail. Depending on students’ individual

circumstances, their profile will comprise one or more of the following documents:

• QCE

• Tertiary Entrance Statement

• Senior Statement

• Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement.

As this is the last newsletter for our year 12 students, I want to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of them all the very

best as they embark on a new journey down a pathway that will offer greater challenges, responsibilities and opportunities. Have a safe

schoolies week, look out for each other.

Science News

On Thursday of week 2 Veronica kindly volunteered to talk to our 10D History class, she also visited the other year 10 history classes.

Veronica shared the story of her grandmother’s ordeal as part of the Stolen Generation and her own brief experience of the Flora and

Fauna Act as a baby.

It was enlightening to hear a first-hand account from the Stolen Generation and also to sympathise with the losses of those families

affected. As we are doing an assignment on civil rights issues of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, this talk tied in perfectly

with our assignment topic.

As most of us had heard Veronica’s story before we found ourselves more or less piecing together the puzzle as we recalled her story.

Although heard before, Veronica’s story still held more information for us to hear and captivated us all the more as we tried to remember

what happened next. We as a class can only try to understand how hard it must have been for Veronica to share her story and

appreciate the emotional strain it may have on her. With this in mind, we become even more grateful to her for sharing her story with us

and allowing us a glance into the past. We are busy working hard on our assessment which is an independent inquiry based case study

on the significance of an individual from the Stolen Generations or a civil rights event that is significant to Aboriginal or Torres Strait

Islander peoples.

Year 10 History - by Kelsie - Year 10 Student

On Monday 31st of October our in school scientist Sue Helmke, assisted year 7 students in a classification activity. Prior to this students worked with dichotomous keys in class but today they experienced firsthand the task of a Fisheries Biologist. The students worked in groups to

classify what type of prawn they had by identifying the key features. Students discovered features they had never seen on a prawn and managed with some help to find the scientific name and even pronounce it. However, the most enjoyable part of the activity was the dissection of the prawn to locate its brain, intestine and to identify whether it was male or female. All students thoroughly enjoyed the hands on experience but weren’t keen to have prawns for dinner.

Donation to Trolley’s Red Cross Big Cake Bake

On Saturday 22 October Trolley Café held a Red Cross Big Cake Bake to raise money for the Red Cross. We were asked to donate some cakes and our Year 12s, who are currently completing a cake decorating unit, were keen to assist. We donated 4 chocolate cakes, which we hope were enjoyed by those who bought them! Gordonvale SHS will be hosting their own Red Cross Big Cake Bake event on November 9 this year.

The warmer weather is here and the ‘Parties’ are starting’. Ok so our teenager has asked for a ‘Party’ where do we start? There are some great website addresses which can assist you in planning these parties. Try https://police.qld.gov.au then click on Programs, then click on Alcohol and other drugs which will lead you to Party Safe. Also http://www.safeparty.com.au. And of course the whisper on everyone’s lip ‘schoolies’ www.schoolies.com which will be discussed at school with your school leavers. Now back to the party subject for the rest of us. Party Safe for Parents Parents are often faced with tough decisions about teenage parties. Parties are part of growing up, yet no parent wants their teenager to be unsafe. Your Teenager's Party Parents often need to face questions such as:

What do I do when my teenager wants to have a party?

Should I supervise the party?

Should I allow alcohol to be available?

What are my responsibilities and obligations to the guests and other parents?

Before saying yes to allowing a party, give yourself time to think about it:

It's okay not to respond to the request immediately.

Clarify how involved in the party your teenager wants you to be.

Decide on the bottom line conditions you would agree to; and

Discuss your proposal and concerns with your teenager.

Put forward your proposal to your teenager: Adequate supervision of teenage parties is essential - even though your teenagers may not want you present or involved in the party - a responsible adult is lawfully required at a party for children under 18 years of age that is held in your home. Remember, you will be held responsible and liable for the outcome, so advise your teenager about this as it helps to demonstrate that you are not attempting to "spy" or be "over controlling". If your teenager has a negative reaction to your proposal, you could negotiate with them over certain conditions. For example; restrict your presence in the party area in exchange for an agreement to have an alcohol free or low alcohol party, or, you may be prepared to allow up to 40 guests if your teenager agrees to use formal invitations or wristbands for identification. Remember, that more guests means more supervision required. And if you do allow alcohol at the party, you'll need to take measures to control it's consumption. This is just a snapshot of great advice from the safeparty website. Then some of the information from the police website includes:

So there are just some suggestions, so maybe try to factor in time planning for the party to include looking at these websites! Happy partying! And stay safe! Thanks, Miss Cassie

Update from the School Nurse’s Desk

Ensure all your valuables are locked away so they can’t be damaged, broken or stolen. Mobile phones, laptops, cameras and

handbags are amongst the property most targeted by thieves at parties.

Ensure you have ready access to a phone during the event. Have emergency service numbers ready, just in case.

Think about organising some party activities, like music and dancing. These are a good way of keeping guests entertained and doing

things other than drinking. Remember that parties can be fun without alcohol.

Ensure your first aid kit is well stocked and easy to access. Plan what to do if a guest becomes sick or intoxicated. If a person is

drunk and has or looks like they may pass out of collapse, contact a doctor or call an ambulance immediately. While waiting for the

ambulance, lay the person of their side in the ‘recovery’ position to ensure their airway remains clear and stay with them.

Be mindful of your obligations as a host. Drinking alcohol or taking drugs affects your ability to make safe decisions; stay in control

and sober so that you are able to deal with problems quickly and effectively.

Check your insurance so you know what your policy covers; in particular, what would be covered if your party resulted in personal

injury to a third party or damage to their property

INTAD News At the recent DATTA awards organised by

the BLA (Business Liaison Association) and

the Regional Intad Teachers two of our

students were good enough to obtain 1st

place in their respective categories. The

awards were held at Event Cinema in Cairns

Central Thursday night, 27th Oct where

sponsors provided approximately $12000 in

value towards prizes for all of the award

categories. Schools from the Tableland,

Innisfail and all of the Cairns schools entered

in the well contested categories from year 7

to 12 with various sections for graphics,

workshop projects, student designed projects and community built projects. Of the students that entered

from our school, Chloe Mangano received a 1st place for her very well made and presented Jewellery Box

in the Junior Workshop section. Shylah Montague entered her design of a small cottage for a young couple, her design and presented

drawings impressed the judges for her to also receive a first place in the Junior Graphics section.

Congratulations to both these young Ladies on their high quality work and their awards.

The Cairns hospital fundraising foundation conducted a recycled pallet furniture silent auction and

ball which was concluded on Saturday night. Three of our students attended the ball to represent

our entry, with only minor damage reported from the high heels worn.

Students volunteered to end up being part of a small crew of five that have spent one lunch hour

each day for the last 7 weeks completing our project. After some research, the students built two

chairs along the style of an Adirondack chair. Both seats turned out very well, we had lots of

trouble getting the testers out of them when they

sat in them. Mr Gill Cook kindly offered to deliver

them for us and our wonderful Intad teacher aide

Mr Phil Griffiths helped out with some timber

assembly and guidance when we were running out of time especially towards the end.

Having to pull old pallets apart without wrecking the timber and machining it to create

useful pieces of timber took a considerable amount of time and hard work. The students

all attended and participated in a wonderful spirit, keeping the end goal of helping others

in their mind. It was a pleasure to spend this time with them all creating what ended up

being two very nice, comfortable seats that raised $250 for the foundation.

The quality of their work must have impressed as I am told they also won the best school

entry category announced on the night. Congratulations to the dedicated crew of (year

12’s) Morgan, Joshua, Crystal, (year 8’s) Liliana and Alexandra. Your efforts are a credit to your

determination and wonderful natures to give for such a worthy cause.

LATE NEWS. Our reporter for the night, Mrs Rebecca O’Brien took some photos and reported back on the night. Jamie Durie praised their work very highly, and seemed very partial to Adirondack chairs. The ladies who bought the chairs are taking one each and declared they would care for them very well. The organiser was full of praise for our entry and encourages GSHS to enter again next year. Ours were a cut above the entries from the other schools entries in terms of quality. We will receive a certificate and a cheque for $250.

Junior Secondary News

ATTENTION: YEAR 6 STUDENTS

WITH SIBLINGS WHO ARE CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT GSHS IN YEARS 7-11

As the end of the school year is fast approaching, we would like to take this opportunity to REMIND parents and carers that:

If they have a student who is currently enrolled in Years 7 to 11 at Gordonvale State High School, and have a Year 6 student

who will be attending Year 7 in 2017, that you are still eligible to enrol your Year 6 student.

Enrolment interviews will be held at Gordonvale State School Tuesday 8th and Tuesday 15th November from 10am until 2.30pm. Please contact the office at Gordonvale State High School to book an interview time.

Reminder - Transition Day is 25th November. Students need to be enrolled for 2017 to attend this day.

Year 6 to 7 Parent Information Evening is on Wednesday, 30th November from 6pm until 7pm.

Lauren Huth - Head of Junior Secondary

Year 9 Rugby League Program 2016

In the RLP this year we’ve been lucky enough to organise a few friendly games with

our southern corridor neighbour schools Bentley Park and Djarragun College. The

results were secondary to the competition itself with the games an ideal forum to

apply the skills we’ve been implementing during our Rugby League classes

throughout the year.

Communication, reaction and anticipation are some of the areas of improvement

identified by the students themselves upon reflection. With the attacking structures

we’ve learned this year and a

greater desire to improve our

defensive techniques this class will

be a formidable opponent when

everything finally clicks into gear.

With students from the SEU playing alongside students that don’t play club rugby

league mixed with regional rep players you could say we have a unique group. As the

coach I’m pleased to have witnessed a lot of improvement throughout the year. It’s

hard to single anybody out for praise however Jabin Miller was awarded our best on

ground against the Djarragun College team in our recent friendly (selected by the

opposition coach) and has been a solid consistent performer all year.

Andrew Hislop

Year 8 Business ran a successful venture baking and selling cookies, brownies, and muffins. The students learnt all about market research and working as a team in a professional food production environment. We even managed a small profit!

Year 8 Business

Gordonvale State High School has 12 Yamaha 61 note portable keyboards available for purchase. The keyboards will be sold on an ‘as is’ basis. Any delivery charges after purchase are to be borne by the buyer. No warranties are implied or given. Details of keyboards are available on the Gordonvale SHS website. Keyboards will be available to purchase on Thursday 17th November in A07 at Gordonvale State High School, 85 Sheppards St Gordonvale, from 1:30pm – 3:15pm.

Garage Sale - Keyboards - Music Department

On Thursday 20th October Miss Evans & Mr Jerome took 11 girls down to Townsville to participate in the 2016 Cowboys Challenge. Our school entered an U16s team as well as an Opens team. Our girls joined with students from Bowen SHS to play in modified games of Rugby League. Both our teams represented Gordonvale SHS with pride as they competed against some very challenging teams. Well done to all girls involved, we look forward to taking teams down again in 2017.

2016 Cowboys Challenge

Recently our 8 Indigenous Leaders of the Future participated in a day of

sharing success with 18 other high schools across Cairns and Far North

Queensland. The leaders were required to present how students had

engaged with cultural events at their school throughout the year.

All of our students presented themselves wonderfully in their formal

uniforms. They conducted a speech that outlined their personal

successes before they showed a power point of photos from Close the

Gap Day, NAIDOC, Reconciliation Week, and sporting events that they

had run during lunch hours. Our presentation ended with video footage

of students providing some ideas for teachers to consider when working

with

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. It is envisaged that

this package could be shown to new staff as part of their induction.

The leaders were then given the opportunity to come back in the

evening for a formal dinner. We would like to congratulate all of this

year’s Indigenous Leaders of Tomorrow for their ongoing efforts.

Their dedication was exemplified when they volunteered their time at

the Gordonvale Indigenous football carnival that was run on the

weekend. Many came down on both days to help out in the kitchen,

selling drinks, filming or keeping the grounds tidy.

Indigenous Leaders of Tomorrow