2 Alesana DriveBellbird Park QLD 4300Subscribe:Subscribe: http://bellbirdpssc.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

admin@bellbirdparkssc.eq.edu.auPhone:Phone: 07 3819 7222

Fax:Fax: 07 3819 7200

31 August 201731 August 2017

From the College PrincipalWe have had a very busy couple of weeksat BPSSC with a number of excitingactivities and student success stories;including our Talent Quest, Science Week,Book Week, the success of our GirlsSoccer Team and Boys Rugby Leagueteam, and our Ekka/Phoenix fun weekactivities. There truly is a buzz around the

College of late.

Real World Connections with Universities

Students at Bellbird Park SSC have been very fortunate toattend an on - campus experience day at The University ofQueensland, attend a STEM workshop at QueenslandUniversity of Technology and participate in programs throughour partnership with The University of Southern Queensland.

Our school motto at Bellbird Park SSC is Many PathwaysNo Limits, and our staff and students live and breathe thismotto every day. One of the many pathways available to ourstudents post year 12 is a tertiary qualification at university orother institution. The media constantly reminds us of late that atertiary qualification is now necessary and can offer graduates

a rich experience, a bright future, and more importantly accesstoo many more job opportunities. One of my personal goals asPrincipal of BPSSC is to continually reinforce the message toour students and families – that anyone can go to university– there are no limits. As such, we have made it our businessto expose our year 7 students to university pathways; havingthe chance to experience a taste of university much earlier onallows our students to have something to strive for. It alsoopens their eyes to the possible careers and courses that are,or could be available to them in the future. I am truly excited forthe class of 2022!

STUDENT ATTENDANCE CONCERNS

You may have read the article on page three of Saturday’sCourier Mail, which highlighted that student absences (includingfamily getaways in off-peak times) has a detrimental effect onstudent learning. It is timely that I highlight that our studentattendance rate at BPSSC is not where it should be. Whilstthis message is targeted at a particular group of students, theirparents and carers – it is an important message for everyone.

Currently we have a significant proportion of students whohave an average attendance rate for 2017 of 90% or less.A 90% attendance rate means that a student is absent onaverage for one day every fortnight. Our College communitystrongly supports our high expectations, no excuses culture atBPSSC, and one of those expectations is student attendance.This attendance expectation is in place so that (a) studentsmaximise their potential to succeed whilst at school, (b) do notcut-off their options whilst at school or post school owing to notmeeting minimum mandatory requirements, and (c) are betterprepared for the world or work post BPSSC.

I do not know too many employers who will be prepared to paygood wages for someone who is absent one day or more everyfortnight; likewise if your child’s teacher were missing one dayevery fortnight you would rightfully complain to me about their

lack of professionalism, and worry that your child was fallingbehind. Students cannot afford to miss school; teaching andlearning cannot wait.

Please assist us by enforcing these attendance expectationswith your child so that they are not disadvantaged. Please feelfree to contact Mrs Major (Deputy Principal) if you would like toknow your son/daughters overall attendance rate.

STAFF NEWS

I am pleased to announce that Ms Rebekah Judd will takeon the role of ‘Head of Year’ at BPSSC in 2018 (as well ascontinuing to teach French). The Head of Year is a leadershipposition in our College, and Ms Judd will work closely with MrGrant (Deputy Principal) and our incoming 2018 cohort of year7 students on a range of student support and welfare matters.

As our student numbers are expected to double for 2018, sotoo will our staffing numbers. As such, we are currently in theprocess of appointing teachers who will join our high performingteam. New teachers to the College will attend a staff retreatat the end of 2017 so that they quickly adopt our culture andseamlessly transition into BPSSC.

Michael WestCollege Principal

Deputies CornerWe welcome all our 2018 future parentsand students to Bellbird Park’s communityand the first newsletter for many. We areworking full steam ahead in planning for ourcurrent year 7’s and our future year 7’s into2018 and beyond. By the end of this month,we will have had enrolment interviews forclose to a hundred students and families

and with many more booked to come in term 4. The year 7cohort of 2018 looks to be large. We are also very excited toannounce that we now have a camp date for our future Year 7’sin 2018.

Success and growth for all our students will be supported atBellbird Park by a Growth Mindset - challenges, effort, takingfeedback on board, knowing it’s ok to give things a go, and itsok to get things wrong are key fundamentals around a positivemindset. This will support successful Pathways at Bellbird Parkand are part of the values and culture we are instilling at ourCollege.

I, as Deputy together with our newly appointed Head of Year– Ms Judd, and ten or so Pathway teachers, will look afterthe 2018 year 7 cohort next year. A Pathway teacher is thatvery important initial go to person for students and parents.This Pathway teacher will get to know their class very well.They meet the students every morning and will be part of theirpastoral care (Pathways) program. They will also teach Englishand Humanities or Maths and Science to this group.

For new enrolments- some key dates are:

Gavin GrantDeputy Principal

Every fortnight when starting to write anewsletter article, I usually begin to worrythat I don’t have very much to share withfamilies; this past fortnight has had anabundance of interesting content to sharewith families. In week 6 we had a trifecta ofexcitement in one week with our firstScience week, Talent Quest and Phoenix

EKKA Fun-day. All three of these inaugural events happened tocoincide within the same week, and each one was exceptionallysuccessful in its own way. The Science week activities includedstudents having the opportunity to build and raceballoon-powered cars, watch bubble-tastic chemical reactions,and hypothesise which variety of cola will shoot the highest inthe air when Mentos were dropped in. All engaging, allscientific, and all a lot of fun!

For the Talent Quest, I had the pleasure of being a judge withMr Turnour and Ms Palmer. All three of us were blown away bythe skills of our students and the calibre of each performance.We have a number of excellent vocalists, confident dramatists,a kung-fu kid, and mystifying magicians – I still cannot figureout how they got that card inside the orange, nor how it wasmy card! And MJ totally had me reading Jade’s mind. Basicallyhere at BPSSC we have a lot of talented students, whichexplains why first, second and third places were split by justone point. Thanks to Ms McCullough for all her work auditioningstudents, providing rehearsal spaces, organising and running ofthe day.

The Phoenix EKKA Fun-day was also a hit. Students had theopportunity to try their hand at some classic EKKA games likeknock down cans, land the beanbag on the target or hoop overthe peg, as well as a few other games we included just forfun like pool-noodle-spear-throwing, collect the pegs, HumanHungry Hungry Hippos, and more. Students won prizes andcandy as well as earning 10 additional PBL points for being atschool and participating on the day. The staff and students hada great time and students behaved exceptionally as they waitedtheir turn in queues and cheering on their friends. The vibe waselectric. Thanks to all the staff who planned and ran activities,and a big shout-out to all the student helpers involved.

Another exciting thing that occurred this past fortnight wasthat Mr West, Mr Grant, Ms Buller, Year Coordinator Ms Baird,and I went to visit the Sunshine Coast Camp Currimundi –the sight for our camp next term. We were all blown away bythe activities we will get to do with students. The grounds hasthe biggest and most sophisticated in-door caving facility inAustralia. It has an amazing design including excellent safetyprecautions including exit hatches, air conditioning and lighting,and as a team-bonding activity where teams must worktogether to navigate the tunnels together in order to locatekey points within the system. It was amazing. So too was themodern rock-climbing wall, rope swing, alpine rescue course,and much much more. The dorm rooms are also very good,

1. Orientation day on Tuesday Nov 28th (9:00am –2:30pm)

2. First Day of school – Monday 22nd January 2018

3. Year 7 Camp - Mon 30th April- Wed 2nd May (costaround $200)

2

including a bathroom for each group of six. The dining hall willallow for us to eat together as one big family. I’m thoroughlyexcited for camp now.

Finally my last bit of praise for the fortnight is to highlightthe skills of our sporting teams. The girls’ soccer team didn’tjust win our local division, they competed against the winnersfrom the Logan region Browns Plains SHS and won! The girls’soccer have progressed to the next level and will soon findout who they will play next. Well done girls! Our boys rugbyleague team just played a friendly match against our closestschool Redbank Plains SHS, and while the friendly was notabout points on the board, our boys crossed the line 13 timesunanswered! But that’s not the most impressive part, a parentcommented that our boys remained humble throughout anddisplayed great sportsman ship. I foresee big things to come.

Some of you might be wondering why I’ve spent so much ofthis article raving about the fun activities on offer at BPSSC. Ihave done this because there is more to Secondary Schoolingthan just curriculum; yes curriculum is incredibly important andour core business, but we also recognise that students mustwant to come the College each day. Fun extracurricularactivities help foster engagement, which in turn improvesattendance. And with improved attendance, students havemore access to the curriculum, which improves learning andresults. I will leave you with one final thought:

There are only 193 school days in a year. This leaves 172days for students to go on holidays, attend non-essentialappointments, or spend time with family. With so manyfree days available, shouldn’t school days be keptsacred for learning and absences only occur if yourchild is sick and incapable of attending?

Jana MajorDeputy Principal

From the Guidance Officer

Mind Matters at Bellbird!

Our Wellbeing Action Team is in full swing,working to build the best support structureswithin our College to help us all stay well inbody, mind and spirit! We are currentlyworking on the following goals:

RUOK DAY! Thursday 14th September

In the last week of this term we will celebratenational RUOK Day. This is a nation-widesuicide prevention initiative that aims to buildskills and confidence to ask ‘RUOK?’ Notonly to ask, but then also to know what to do if your friend is notOK. On the 14th of September, the students will be runningactivities in their classes that encourage belonging,connectedness and conversation. Students are encouraged towear yellow on RUOK Day.

Connected Families Intensive Family SupportService

All families experience challenges as they move through thedifferent stages of their lives. Sometimes, things can becomea little too tough. At Connected Families, we support you andyour family as you go through these difficult times. We workwith you to understand and help you improve your familyrelationships and communication, your children’s behavioursand how your teenagers deal with the issues they face. Wealso support you with managing household routines andmaintenance, family budgeting and your family members’health and wellbeing.

We can help you and your family ‘navigate the system’ ofsupport services that are available to you. We can also help youincrease your family’s social connections, as well as links withcommunity resources, so that you are equipped to face familychallenges in the future.

Contact us to find outmore:

Mercy Community ServicesIpswich225 Brisbane StreetIpswich Qld 4305Phone: 07 3437 2495

1. Building a student wellbeing team togive the students a voice in how to build a positiveschool environment.

2. Writing a school mental health and wellbeing policy.

3. Planning how we will build school and communitywide understanding of an engagement with theMindMatters framework.

3

Don’t Forget!!

Tracey EganGuidance Officer

From the Head of Diverse Learners

NDIS Family Information Session

Thursday 19th October 3:00pm

Parents and carers of students with adisability at Bellbird Park StateSecondary College are invited to aninformation session for the NDIS.

What is the NDIS?

https://www.ndis.gov.au/people-disability.html

Check your eligibility

https://ndis.gov.au/people-disability/access-requirements.html

Residency Requirements

You may meet the residency requirements if you live in Australiaand:

Disability Requirements

You may meet the disability requirements if:

An impairment that varies in intensity e.g. because theimpairment is of a chronic episodic nature may still bepermanent, and you may require support under the NDIS foryour lifetime, despite the variation.

Melissa FieldsHead of Diverse Learners

From the Head of Maths/ScienceTerm 3 brings opportunities for students to participate in handson activities, collaborative learning and applying theirknowledge to real life context in maths and science.

In maths students are learning about measurement andgeometry. Students have been drawing isometric drawings of3D shapes and learning how to classify triangles andquadrilaterals. Students have made models using blocks andused isometric dot paper to show their model.

Students will be completing their next assessment task nextweek. Please ask your child about the exact date for theassessment and encourage them to revise at home. There area number of students who are not bringing their calculators toclass. Not only does this hinder the learning of your student, italso causes some disruptions in the learning of others. Pleaseencourage your child to bring all equipment to class at all times.

For the annual science week we had a fantastic week filledwith heaps of scientific activities. National Science Week isAustralia’s annual celebration of science and technology andthousands of individuals including students, scientists, chefs,and musicians get involved, taking part in more than 1000science events across the nation. It also aims to encourage aninterest in science pursuits among the general public, and toencourage younger people to become fascinated by the world

• Smith Family Financial assistance scholarships.Please get in contact with me for a confidentialconversation. You may be eligible to sign up yourchildren for financial support that will continue all theway the grade 12! These twice yearly payments reallyhelp with school costs like uniform, fees, even camp!Call me on 3819 7222.

• Flexi-Link. We are in the catchment for this awesomeservice. Just $1 (cash) each way for concessiontravel. This is a handy service for those unexpectedtrips. You can even get them to drop you to and fromschool. Phone 1800-882-662 to book.

• The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) isthe new way of providing support for Australians withdisability, their families and carers.

• As an insurance scheme, the NDIS takes a lifetimeapproach, investing in people with disability early toimprove their outcomes later in life.

• The NDIS supports people with disability to buildskills and capability so they can participate in thecommunity and employment.

• Further information in regards to the NDIS can belocated at:

• are an Australian citizen OR

• hold a Permanent Visa OR

• hold a Protected Special Category Visa, that is you- were in Australia on a Special Category Visa on 26February 2001 or- had been in Australia for at least 12 months in the 2years immediately before 26 February 2001 and youreturned to Australia after that day.

• you have an impairment or condition that is likely tobe permanent (i.e. it is likely to be lifelong) and

• your impairment substantially reduces your ability toparticipate effectively in activities, or perform tasks oractions unless you have:- assistance from other people or- you have assistive technology or equipment (otherthan common items such as glasses) or- you can't participate effectively even withassistance or aides and equipment and

• your impairment affects your capacity for social andeconomic participation and

• you are likely to require support under the NDIS foryour lifetime.

4

we live in. The theme for science week this year was FutureEarth. At Bellbird Park the teachers of the science departmentorganised hands on activities where students could thinkscientifically and solve problems of the real world.

On Monday, students participated in the balloon car race.Students were given a set of materials and had to designtheir car. Prizes were awarded for the best time. On Tuesday,students were invited to the Science lecture theatre where theywatched a movie on the future of sugarcane ethanol as a fuelfor future. We discussed the problems with using fossil fuelsin the future and how sustainable energy options should beused to prevent global warming and energy crisis. On Thursday,students participated in the Lets Explode session outside Iblock. Here the students made their mini volcanoes. Ms Clarkand Ms Manson demonstrated a chemical reaction by makingElephant’s toothpaste. For the finale, Ms Baird and Ms Lamberttrialled different brands of Coca Cola drink to see which onewill go the highest when Mentos are added to it. On Friday aselection of students from all year 7 classes visited QueenslandUniversity of Technology in the city. Students engaged in criticalthinking and collaborated with STEM workshops. Studentswere able to launch rockets to the highest altitude in aspaceflight simulator program.

During these activities teachers communicated to the studentshow science is relevant to us in everyday life and how theknowledge of science changes the way we do things in the realworld.

If you have any questions please email your child’s Maths/Science teacher.

Gouri SharmaHead of Maths/Science

From the Head of English, Humanitiesand Languages

French Song and PoetryCompetition

On Saturday 19th August, two of our Year 7students, Janraisen Anonuevo and KennethCrawford competed in “Le Concours deChansons et de Poésie” at Alliancefrançaise de Brisbane in West End.

According to their age, students are required to sing a songor recite a poem in front of a jury composed of two Frenchteachers. Songs and poems are learnt by heart. Pronunciationand clarity, memorisation, interpretation and prosody are thefour main criteria on which students are assessed.

Kenneth performed “La mer secrète” (The Secret Sea) by JulesSupervielle and Janraisen performed “Perles” (Pearls) byLéopold Séndar Senghor. Both boys spoke beautifully andwhile they did not place, a wonderful experience was had by all.

Melissa SeeHead of English, Humanities, and Languages

Sport NewsOn Wednesday 23rd August 2017, 12 year7 girls rose to the challenge of their very firstMetropolitan Finals Soccer Match. The sunwas beating down when the whistle blew at1pm for the start of the game. Within thefirst 2 minutes, Browns Plains State HighSchool shot and scored the first goal.Instead of being downhearted, our girls

stayed strong, listened to the advice of their coaches TraceyReddy and Mrs Cox and took control of the game. The finalwhistle blew and the score was 7-1 to BPSSC. Thank you tothe parents who helped with transport and offered theirsupport. Well done girls!

Netball World Cup

The World Cup Netball quarterfinals are commencing and thereis a lot at stake – which pathway group will be victorious in theinaugural Netball challenge?

5

NEXT ROUND:

7A vs 7D7E vs 7H

BPSSC Rugby League Boys took on Redbank Plains SHS andwon 52-0. The score line was impressive however the attitudeof the boys was even more impressive. They were a credit toour school and we are very proud of them. This week they takeon a harder challenge – St Thomas More College. Good Luck!

Kate PalmerSports Co-ordinator

Talent QuestAmongst the excitement of science week,Phoenix Fun Day and multiple excursions,our creative students were able to shinewith the highly anticipated Talent Quest.

Performers entering the quest faced the firsthurdle, having to survive the initial auditionround. With 26 students auditioning andonly 10 spaces available, it was difficult

deciding who was to make it through to the finals. The finalsshow was spectacular with singers, actors and even aTaekwondo routine choreographed along to music. As theyentered the Information Services building audience memberswere treated to a gallery consisting of 13 artworks ranging frompaintings, to drawings and clay sculptures. Our 3 wonderfuljudges Mrs Major, Ms Palmer and Mr Turnour had the ultimatetask of awarding our winners, and students were also givenable to voice their opinion with the People’s Choice voting. Itwas an incredible effort from all that participated and we’realready looking forward to seeing what next year’s Talent Questbrings.

Performers

1st Place: Jenni Killin - singing, “Who you are” by JessieJ2nd Place: Drama Club - “Bullying, No way!” own

production3rd Place: Gabrielle Rae - Singing, “I Try” by Macy GrayPeople’s Choice: Aaron Pese and Myles-Jeffery Cecil- Magic

Artists

1st Place: Elizabeth Traill2nd Place: Gabrielle Rae3rd Place: Amy BernardPeople’s Choice: Shiloh Talavave

Kelsie McCulloughMusic Teacher

P & C News

Meet and Greet

It was lovely to meet with parents for our Meet and Greet lastweek. If you are unable to make meetings but have ideas oritems you would like to have discussed please feel free to sendan email to pandc@bellbirdparkssc.eq.edu.au and we can raiseyour submission at the next meeting.

Entertainment Books

Thank you to all the parents who have purchased theirentertainment books whether it be online or the physical book.Funds raised for this go back to the school and purchasingitems to help our kids. Please remember that if you do notwant an Entertainment Book that it needs to be returned to theschool office in the original envelope supplied.

Nicky O’HalloranP&C Secretary

Dates to Remember

Thursday 31 August Homework Club 3:00 – 4:00pm

Thursday 7 September Homework Club 3:00 – 4:00pm

Thursday 14 September RUOK Day

Friday 15 September Last Day of Term 3

Tuesday 3 October First Day of Term 4

Friday 6 October Final Camp payment due

Monday 16 October Student Free Day

6

Office Hours

Office Hours

Monday 8:00am – 4:00pm

Tuesday 8:00am – 4:00pm

Wednesday 8:00am – 4:00pm

Thursday 8:00am – 4:00pm

Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm

College Contact Details

College Office 3819 7222

Student

Absent Line

3819 7266

Student

Absent email

studentabsence@bellbirdparkssc.eq.edu.au

7