2-36 Badgen RoadWellington Point QLD 4160Subscribe:Subscribe: https://wellingtonpshs.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email:Email: admin@wellpoinshs.eq.edu.auPhone:Phone: 3820 4222

Principal,Principal,Dr. Robyn Burton-ReeDr. Robyn Burton-Ree

24 November 201724 November 2017

Message from the PrincipalAs we near the finish line for 2017,we reflect on what an incredible termthis has been. Term 4 has been acelebration of student’s hard workand dedication, and the results theyhave achieved are outstanding.These successes were evident at our30th Annual Awards Night lastmonth, as we celebrated theAcademic, Sporting and Artsachievements from 2017.

Without a doubt, the Year 12 Graduation Ceremony and Formalat Sirromet on 16 November 2017 was a highlight for theschool. Witnessing all 150 + seniors leave our school withtheir graduation certificate was a moment of joy and pride.Their final success was a culmination of their own hard workand determination, coupled with targeted support, individualtracking and guidance from our teaching staff to ensure allof our students achieved their personal best. I am pleasedto announce that 100% of our Year 12 students attained aQueensland Certificate of Education for the second year in arow. My sincere appreciation extends not only to our teachers,senior school tracking team and support staff, but to all parents,carers and families who have played an active role in theirchild’s high school journey. The sense of community andcollective responsibility is evident at our school, and I am soproud of everyone. We wish the Class of 2017 all the very bestas they discover life beyond the school gates – they will besorely missed.

As we prepare for a new year and new transitions, we also lookforward to welcoming new students in 2018. To familiarise new

students and their families, an Orientation Day will be held atour school on 5 December 2017 for students who have hadtheir enrolment confirmed. If you or someone you know have anenrolment query, please contact Administration on 3820 4222during office hours (Monday – Friday, 8am to 4pm).

With just two weeks left until the end of term, we now focus onpreparing and planning for 2018.

Our November newsletter will be our final newsletter for 2017.Any future communication will be sent home in the form of emailor letters home. Please keep an eye on your inbox for news orupdates that may relate to your child and/or checklists for thenew school year. Of course, you can always keep up-to-datewith news and events via our facebook page.

On behalf of everyone at Wellington Point State High School,we wish you a happy, healthy and relaxing Christmas holidayand sincere thanks to everyone in the school community fortheir commitment to our school in 2017.

Yours in EducationDr Robyn Burton-Ree

Key Dates

5th December Year 7 Orientation Day

8th December Last Day of Term 4

22nd January 2018 First Day Yr 7 & 12

23rd January 2018 First Day Yr 8,9,10 & 11

Uniform TrialAs you are aware, throughout Term 4 we have been conductinga Sport Uniform Trial, where students have been permittedto wear their sport uniform 4 days per week. Surveys wereemailed to Students, Parents and Teaching Staff to determinethe success of the trial and to assist us with our decisionmaking process.

It has been determined that the Sport Uniform Trial has beenunsuccessful and in 2018 we will be reverting back to studentswearing the Formal Uniform 4 days per week. The sportsuniform may be worn to and from school on Sports Days only(Tuesday- year 8 & 9, Wednesday years 10, 11 & 12, Thursdayyear 7). If your student participates in HPE on a different day,their formal uniform is to be worn to school and they mustchange into their sport uniform for that lesson only.

The results to the surveys will be made available to parentsearly next year, and all concerned parents are invited to attendone of our P & C meetings, where we welcome your feedback.P & C meetings are held every 3rd Tuesday of the month,commencing on the 20th February 2018.

If you have purchased any unnecessary sport uniforms duringthe trial and would like to exchange them, you may do so aslong as they have not been worn and the tags are still in place.

Payments

EFT

Please ensure when paying with EFT you specify in thedescription, the name of student with either a description orinvoice number. We currently have 3 payments with nodescription, if you have made a payment and not added thedescription, please contact the school office so that we maytake this payment off your account.

e.g B SMITH- SRS 8

BPOINT

Payments made by bpoint must have CRN Number, invoicenumber and amount.

Friday the 1st December is the last day for Finance for2018, after this date only EFT and BPOINT Payments will

be accepted.

Faces of FreedomOver the last couple of months students from Wellington PointState High School have been visiting our Cleveland communityas part of a program called Faces of Freedom. This programis an excellent way of giving budding journalists the opportunityto put their writing skills to good use, by writing a story fromthe illustrious lives of Freedom Aged Care residents. A face ofFreedom was undertaken as an extracurricular program for thestudents taking place on Wednesday afternoons. The votingsystem run through social media, where the public could viewand vote on their favourite stories.

On Thursday the 2nd of November Wellington Point State HighSchool invited Freedom residents along assembly, where thewinning students were announced in front of the whole school.

Third place was awarded to Sarah Wilson, who was presentedwith a GoPro, second place was awarded to Cienna Mclean,who was presented with Beats by Dre wireless head phonesand first place was awarded to Eleesha Webb, who waspresented with a Macbook Air laptop. Congratulations to all thestudents involved, you have done an amazing job!

To view an online copy of the Faces of Freedom book please

https://www.freedomagedcare.com.au/files/Faces%20of%20Freedom/Cleveland%20FOF/faces_of_freedom_stories_brochure.pdf

This wonderful story was also featured on ABC Radio Brisbaneand you can listen to the broadcast here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phbgE4-par4

Tuckshop NewsIn 2018 we will be implementing a new ordering system viathe QKR app. This app can be downloaded on to your phoneand both tuckshop and uniform items can be ordered andpurchased through the app. Your student will still be able topurchase items from the tuckshop with cash/card, but the appwill allow you to order their lunches from home and keep trackof what they are eating.

EXTRA OPENING HOURS- 2017

SCHOOL HOLIDAY HOURS- 2018

There will also be a window souly for exchanges If studentsneed to change anything they purchased earlier.

We would also like to encourage the Yr 9 students to purchasethere senior uniform before the leave for the holidays

http://mastercard.com.au/qkr

We are still requiring volunteers to assist us in the Tuckshop. Ifyou have 1 day a month to spare and are keen to meet newpeople, please contact the Tuckshop PH- 3820 4225.

Year 12 Building & ConstructionYear 12 BCD students started construction on Cubby Housesin term 2, and have been working hard each and every weekto complete them. In the two exam block weeks they weretimetabled an Incursion Day where students were able to workuninterrupted all day on construction of these. This providedto be a good experience for all and many showed their skillsnot only in construction, but also leadership and planning. Allstudents were happy once construction was completed andthey could show off their end product.

• We are open from 8am until 1pm on December 5thOrientation day

• The Uniform shop will be open from 8am-3pm on18th 19th January2018

2

We would like to thank the following people for theircontributions which were beneficial in the completion of thesecubby houses: Mr Herbert Carr for the bulk of the corrugatedroofing, Ms Jill Perry also for corrugated roofing, Ms MelanieThornton at Stratco for looking after us with acncillary roofingproducts, and Mrs Brigid Wilkins of Bunnings for donations ofexterior paint. Thank you to all of you for your help.

Graduation & FormalCongratulations to all of our 2017 Graduates, here are a fewhighlights from their recent Graduation Ceremony and formal.

English Osprey Aces Debating CupOn the 1st of November, the WPSHS English Departmenthosted the 2017 Debating Osprey Aces Cup.

The day began with a ‘getting to know you’ session, followedby a skilling workshop and finished with an interschool debatingcompetition to determine the ‘Osprey Aces’ Champion Team.

Highlights of the day included icebreaker games run by MsWest, a mock debate performance by Wellington Point SHSjunior leaders Oliver Ponting, Gabby Davy, Tali Duganzic,Chantel McElroy, Hunter Binskin, Jorden Stott, Zehra Jones,and the final Primary School team debates judged by our WelloEnglish Teachers Mrs Kratzman, Mr Alexander, Ms Ludski, MsGovind and Mrs Austin.

Thank you also to Mrs Kratzmann, Ms Brown and Ms Laurie fortheir organisation, Eleesha Webb and Savannah Freeman fortheir assistance in greeting students and parents.

This was a wonderful collaboration with our local primaryschools, which offered opportunities to make new friendships,meet teachers, practice a new skill and gain confidence withpublic speaking.

Senior SchoolCongratulations to our 2017 graduating cohort on achieving100% QCE attainment, and we wish you every success in yourfuture endeavours.

Key dates for Year 12 students

Your secondary schooling days are almost finished. All that isleft is to receive your results. The following are key dates forreceiving these results:

Queensland Certificate of Education

Tertiary Entrance Statement (containing your OP and FPs

Senior Statement (listing your Year 11 and 12 subjects andresults and your QCS Test grade)

Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement.

You will need your LUI and password to access your learningaccount. Make sure you have these before you leave school on17 November.

Student Connect hotline

Students with questions about their Queensland Certificate ofEducation (QCE), Senior Statement, Tertiary EntranceStatement or other results in their learning account can contactthe QCAA Student Connect hotline on 1800 804 991 or emailstudentconnect@qcaa.qld.edu.au. For answers to questions

• Your individual QCS Test grade (from A – E) will bereleased from 9 am on Wednesday 15 November2017 in your learning account on the StudentConnect website.

• Your Year 12 results will be available from 9 am onSaturday 16 December 2017 in your learningaccount on the Student Connect website. • FromMonday 18 December 2017, you will receive yourSenior Education Profile (SEP) in the mail. Dependingon your eligibility, your SEP will contain one or moreof the following documents:

3

about tertiary selection ranks or bonus ranks, contact QTAC on1300 467 822.

You to Uni: Scholarships The You to uni website has beendeveloped primarily for adult learners in Queensland. However,much of the information on the site is of interest to Year 12students. The Scholarships section is particularly useful as ithas links to Queensland public universities and to TAFEQueensland scholarship websites. The scholarship links areorganised under the following categories:

QTAC updates

QTAC Guide cover competition – Entry to this competition isopen to all 2017 Queensland Year 11 students (i.e. the 2018Year 12 students). The challenge is to design the cover ofthe next QTAC Guide for Further Study. The theme of thecompetition is ‘A Future of Unimagined Possibilities’. Thewinning design will appear on the front cover of the 2019 QTACGuide for Further Study and the winner will receive a $500 giftcard. Entries close on 28 February 2018. Find our more here.

Education courses – Students applying for these courses mustsubmit a personal statement as part of the selection criteria orthey will not be considered for a course place. If you are havingdifficulty starting your statement, visit the QTAC website whereyou will find helpful information and example statements.

Offers for Year 12 students – Students applying for coursesnot requiring Year 12 results will start to receive their offersfrom Friday 17 November 2017 (your last day at school). Offerswill be made between the release of Year 12 results on 16December 2017 and the major offer round on 16 January 2018.Don’t panic if you don’t receive an early offer, as course offerswill be made on their major offer-round date (as published inthe 2018 Year 12 Guide Guide). Check the Course Offer Datespage to find out when your institution will make offers.

How does QTAC work out if you’ll get an offer? – QTAC useseligibility and merit to decide if you can get into a course.Eligibility is determined by prerequisites and the institutionsadmissions rules. Merit is based on your OP or selection rank.More details about this process can be accessed on the Entryrequirements webpage. You can go into your QTAC ApplicationServices account to check the status of the courses you haveapplied for.

How will I know if I have an offer? QTAC will send you an email(or an SMS). In most cases, you will have four days to respond.It is essential to monitor your emails to avoid missing an offer.If you don’t respond by the due date, your offer will lapse, andyour application will become inactive. If this happens, contactQTAC immediately, as they may be able to reinstate your offer.

Connect with QTAC – If you have any questions about yourQTAC application, visit p.1 of the 2018 Year 12 Guide for all theways you can get in touch with QTAC.

Snippets for beginning University students

The following are summaries of recent articles on tertiary entry.Five ways to tell if a Uni is perfect for you – This article, fromthe Year 13 website, lists the following five criteria for selectingyour perfect university. This information is based on steps inthe University of Canberra’s Ultimate guide to selecting the rightuniversity.

• Academic Scholarships

• Equity Scholarships

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholarships

• Refugee and/or CALD Scholarships

• Other Scholarships/ Financial Support.

• General tips for a successful transition to University

• Familiarise yourself with the campus before thesemester starts.

• Attend Orientation week events. This is where youfind out about the student support services, socialclubs and other activities available at your university.Check out the Career and Employment Services.These are the people who can help you get a job.

• Identify any study skills you need to polish up on andbook into a workshop.

• Register with your university’s disability services ifapplicable.

• See the University’s financial or counselling services ifyou are worried about money or you have otherconcerns.

• Find students in the same course and attendstudent-run social activities.

• Visit the library (virtual and physical) and attendworkshops on how to use the library effectively.

• Attend all tutorials.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Other tips for first yearuniversity students can be found in UQ’s The ultimatefirst year bucket list, QUT’s What to expect atuniversity and Top tips for first year uni students For abit of comic relief, visit the Collective Noun Facebookpage.

• Course selection – Does the Uni have the perfectcourse for you? Does the teaching environment meetyour learning style (e.g. purely academic or morehands on)? Will you get an opportunity to studyoverseas as part of the course?

• Uni vibes – Because Uni is different to high school,you need to make sure the Uni you pick will give youevery chance to ace the course (upgrade pathways,bridging courses, assignment support, etc.).

• Support – What support services are provided (e.g.career support, mental health and counsellingoptions)?

• The fun stuff - Sus out things like clubs and societies,sports teams, Uni games, the Uni bar, open days,orientation weeks, career seminars and all the otherevents the Uni might offer.

• Location – Can you realistically get to the Uni? Areyou prepared to leave home? If you don’t like totravel much, check out Unis that are close by. 10things I wish I’d known before starting university –This article is from the Postgraduate Futures website.The following are a selection of the 10 things the

4

Stuff You Should Know - Stuff You Should Know – In thispodcast, you can learn about almost anything. The subjectsrange from Satanism, public broadcasting, disco, exorcism andeven restaurant health inspections.

The Drone Industry Did you know there was a Drone Industry?According to the UAVAIR website the number of companiesemploying professional drone pilots is doubling each year. Thisgrowth is in sectors such as drone photography andvideography, real estate, industrial inspections, 3D mapping,surveying, emergency services, scientific research, agricultureand environmental monitoring. Visit the website for moreinformation about this developing industry.

There are organisations (including UAVAIR) that train dronepilots through a Certificate III in Aviation (Remote Pilot - VisualLine of Sight). Visit the myskills website for information aboutthis course, training providers, career pathways and studentoutcomes.

Sport

BASKETBALL

Basketball for Wellington State High has had anotheroutstanding season on the court. This September saw 12 of ourtop basketball players, ranging from grades 9-12, battle it outin the Champion Basketball School Queensland competition.This event was played over a course of 4 days at three differentvenues, with a total of 80 schools travelling from all overQueensland to be a part of this competitions. The boys playedvaliantly over the 4 days, however fell short to Brisbane BoysGrammar by four points in a nail biting performance on the finalday. A special mention and a huge thank you goes to RusselHamlet for coaching and dedicating your time to these youngmen and taking them this far.

TOUCH FOOTBALL:

After a rainy start to the year for touch football, our teams haveexperienced a great deal of success and developed their skills.We have participated in two STL competition days at Redlandsand Southport and the QLD All Schools competition held inWeek 1 of Term 4. We had varied success over the five days ofcompetition and all students involved enjoyed and valued theirexperiences.

Our 13s boys had six wins and one loss, coming 2nd in theirpool and narrowly missing a spot in the finals day. After adifficult first game on the Wednesday, the boys stepped upand played out of their skin for the rest of the tournament.Each player improved and shone during the competition andMr. Walter was especially proud of their progress and their gritthroughout their games.

Mr. Hutton’s 15s boys team had three wins, two draws andtwo losses in a really strong pool. Their final game against Ionaon the Saturday was the hardest fought game they had andthe boys showed their true colours. It was tight until the finalbuzzer and Iona narrowly came away with the win, eventuallyprogressing to the grand final. The really exciting part of the 15sboys team is that all but one of the boys can play again in theteam next year; watch out 2018!

The 13s girls team had three wins and three losses and madeso much progress throughout the tournament. For a bunchof girls that hadn’t played together, and one coming in at thelast moment, they showed resilience, teamwork and passion.Being their first tournament, they had a lot to learn but theyare were all receptive to learning new skills and playing indifferent positions. The girls missed out on making finals buttheir experience this year has made them hungry to be a part ofit next year!

Ms. Mulcahy’s 15s girls team got off to a good start at thepreliminary games against Redlands winning 4-1. Their AllSchools campaign was game after game of strong competition.The girls however made huge changes and improvementsalong the way. They never gave up and kept stepping upand performing. Their line attack and rucking was especiallyexciting, the result of many training sessions throughout theyear.

The 18s mixed team had quite a successful All Schoolsexperience, progressing to the final 16 on the Sunday. Forthe preliminary game, we came up against Balmoral and thisimpressive 11-1 win gave the team confidence going into thecompetition. With four wins and two losses, we came upagainst Marymount in the Final 16 game and went down byone try. The team played fiercely and it was neck-and-neck forthe entire game. It was an awesome effort and the team wouldlike to thank all the supporters that came out to watch on theSunday morning.

author listed. You should read the article to find outmore.

• University subjects may or may not prepare you forthe job you want.

• Work experience is everything (and may be verydifficult to obtain).

• Computational thinking is more important than yourcourse curriculum may suggest.

• The job market is ever-changing.

• Don’t stress about getting perfect grades. Fivepodcasts every university student should be listeningto – This is from the Good Universities Guidewebsite. The podcasts listed are: TED Radio Hour –This is a 60-minute program that focuses on a themeand incorporates soundbites and snippets fromvarious TED Talks on the same subject.

5

Throughout the whole five days of competition every WellingtonPoint SHS team had a never give up attitude, representing theirschool with pride and always bringing their best to the game.There is so much potential and so much to look forward to in2018 for touch football as we strive to positon ourselves at thetop of each division. Congratulations and thank you to everyonewho participated and supported the teams this year!

Changes to 2018 Student ResourceScheme

The cost for 2018 will be $320 for Years 7 to 12. This feecovers the cost of textbooks and other resources includingID Card, Student Diary, WIFI, BYOD, and other consumables.Participation by a parent in such a scheme is voluntary, basedon a determination of the value derived from the scheme. Ifa parent chooses to participate in the scheme, a fee will bedue and payable for the resources provided to the student.The Scheme also covers interschool sport so only studentsregistered with the scheme can represent the School in asporting team. NOTE: The scheme does not include SpecialistPrograms which require an additional fee- ESAP $50,ENCORE $50, BAND $130.

When do I pay to participate in the Scheme?

To ensure your student receives their textbooks at the startof 2018 a deposit of $100 is requested by the end ofNovember 2017. The balance of $220 is to be paid by theend of Term 1, 2018. For Year 7 students the full amount isrequired at the start of 2018. Please complete the StudentResource Scheme Participation form (1 per family) and return tothe Cashier’s Window regardless of which method of paymentyou choose.

If you choose not to participate in thescheme, a list of resources covered by thescheme can be provided for the respectiveyear level. You are then expected to providethese resources for your child at your owncost. In this case the SRS form must bereturned to the Cashier’s window with your chosen option tonot joint the scheme selected. The Student Resource Schemeis the most cost effective method to equip students with theirrequirements.

METHODS OF PAYMENT

Cashier Window

8.30-11.30am Monday, Wednesday and Friday

What is BPOINT?

BPOINT is an internet web link you can use as a method ofpaying school invoices securely from your own computer ormobile phone.

BPOINT offers several payment options as below:

New Payment Method- BPointWe can now offer parents the ability to pay invoices over thephone using BPoint IVR (Interactive Voice Response). Parentscall 1300 631 073 and enter their CRN, amount and credit carddetails to complete payment. At the end of the call you will beprovided with a unique payment receipt number. The schooloffice is no longer able to take credit card details over the phoneas this is not Payment Card Industry Data Security Standardcompliant.

PROCESS FOR PAYMENT PLANS

We now have a new process for payment plans using BPointElectronic Direct Debit Registration.

If you are unable to make a full payment of an invoice by thedue date you need to contact the Business Manager, Glenys

• BPoint (QParents) preferred method

• BPoint IVR (Interactive Voice Response) –1300 631073 NEW!!

• BPoint Payment Plan - NEW!!

• Bank Transfer ( WPSHS General Account BSB064-138 ACC 00090537)

• EFTPOS or Cash

• Centrepay (available to families receiving CentrelinkPayments)

• Internet Payment (single payment) via Web Linkwww.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete

• Re-occurring direct debit (payment plan) – Authoriseto have your credit or debit card in a secureenvironment for approved payment plans.

6

Brown to arrange a payment plan. You will negotiate with theschool on the amount, frequency and number of payments forthe payment plan. You will receive an email with a link for yourpayment plan. You click on the link and register for the directdebit/ payment plan and nominate your credit/debit card orbank account. You will receive a confirmation email detailingthe agreement and you will need to click on the link to confirmthe agreement. The next day the school will receive a reportconfirming the registration for the payment. Once this has beenreceived your child will be able to attend the activity.

You will receive an email reminder the day before your charge isdue to be debited from their bank account or credit/debit card

Why is QParents so good?QParents has been created by the Department of Educationand Training to provide parents of Queensland state schoolstudents with secure online access to their child's information.

The portal allows you to securely access information about yourchild and to communicate directly with your child's school.

QParents verification codes will be emailed out today. IF youdo not receive your verification code, please email the BusinessManager gbrow4@eq.edu.au.

Features of QParents

QParents provides secure, online access to student informationsuch as:

You are also able to update your child's details includingaddress and medical conditions, submit reasons forunexplained absences, notify the school of future absences,and make online payments against school invoices.

Registering with QParents

You can register for QParents only after you have received aninvitation email or letter from your child's school, containingyour unique invitation code.

You can register only by using a PC with the web version ofQParents, not through the QParents app. Once successfullyregistered, you may then use the QParents App to login andmanage your account. You will need to supply an email address(that you check regularly) in order to create a QParents account.

Guidance News

Ms Jan Drury & Mrs Roxanne Franke

Student Participation

Parents have submitted many questions to the GuidanceOfficers over the course of this year, regarding attendance,participation and legal obligations. Here are some of thequestions and answers for the benefit of all.

1. When can my student leave school?

Answer:

According to the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006, theCompulsory Phase of Learning requires young people tocontinue their schooling until they are 16 years of age or havecompleted grade 10, whichever comes first. The CompulsoryParticipation Phase ends when a student gains a SeniorCertificate and/or a certificate III or IV, has participated in eligibleoptions for 2 years after the person stopped being ofcompulsory age, or turns 17 years of age.

Many years ago, students could leave school at 15yrs of ageor at the end of grade 10, no questions asked. The majority ofthese students went into apprenticeships or other meaningfulwork opportunities. Students are not able to leave school at15yrs of age now without an Exemption from Schooling.

Students can therefore leave school once they turn 17yrs ofage, complete yr12, or gain full-time employment to satisfyan Exemption from Schooling application. Evidence ofemployment must be provided to the school. Students are alsoable to gain an Exemption from Schooling to study a full-timeTAFE course or participate in another full-time learning programwith an approved provider. Again, evidence of enrolment mustbe provided to the school.

• Attendance details

• Behaviour

• Report cards and assessment

• Timetables

• Invoices

• Payment history

• Upcoming events

• Student photo

7

2. What is an Exemption from Schooling and why do I needone?

Answer:

Every parent of a child of compulsory school age or a youngperson in the compulsory participation phase has a legalobligation to ensure their child is enrolled and attending schoolor participating in an eligible option.

Parents can apply for an exemption from this obligation whentheir child cannot attend or it would be unreasonable in all thecircumstances for their child to attend school or participate inan eligible option for a period of more than 10 consecutiveschool days.

Situations where an application for an exemption may be madeinclude:

If your child is exempted from compulsory schooling, you areexcused from your obligation in relation to compulsoryschooling or compulsory participation.

The school principal is not responsible for providing aneducational program to your child, however they may provideadvice on other educational options available.

http://ppr.det.qld.gov.au/education/management/Procedure%20Attachments/Exemptions%20from%20Compulsory%20Schooling%20and%20Compulsory%20Participation/information_exemptions.doc

3. I have informed the school that my child is sick. Why amI being hassled for medical certificates?

Answer:

The Qld Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA)oversees the curriculum taught in Qld schools. The QCAAguidelines for Special Provisions is quite strict, especially forgrade 11 and 12 students. For students to be eligible for theirfull quota of Qld Certificate of Education (QCE) credits, theymust attend school and complete all assessment to at least apassing standard. These assessments are also validated andmeasured against other schools and students (panelmoderation and verification). Students and schools need toaccount for absences from exams and late or non-submissionof assignments. Insufficient evidence to explain a student’sabsence may result in a student losing a semester of credit,which can impact on their ability to get a QCE and/or an OverallPosition (OP).

https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/senior/snr_qa_mod_a-z.pdf

Students in grades 11 and 12 can also have their enrolmentcancelled due to non-participation in the program of learning(not completing assessment and/or non-attendance).

In cases where students in the junior school are absent forassessment, the school prefers a medical certificate to accountfor any absences. This ensures that all students are treated inan equitable manner.

4. Our family is going on a cruise for 2 weeks. What can theschool do to support my child?

Answer:

The Education Act states that it is the obligation of each parentto ensure their child attends school on every school day unlessthat parent has a reasonable excuse. Parents need to applyfor an Exemption from Schooling, with any required evidence,when a student is expected to be absent from school for aperiod of 10 consecutive days or greater.

http://education.qld.gov.au/everydaycounts/docs/edc-version1-brochure.pdf

According to the Education Act and the Qld Department ofEducation and Training, family holidays taken outside ofgazetted school holidays are not approved or encouraged.Students are not entitled to any Special Provisions (assessmentextensions) for these non-approved absences. This usuallymeans that your student will not only miss valuable learningtime, but will also be required to submit assessments on theirscheduled due dates (or before). Non-submission ofassessment can have implications such as Not Rated on reportcards and can have QCE/OP ramifications in senior. Schoolsare under no obligation to provide learning materials in theseinstances.

5. My child has completed all assessment and doesn’twant to come to school on the last few days of the term/year, as he/she says they won’t be doing anything. Can he/she stay at home with parent permission?

Answer:

The Education Act states that it is the obligation of a parent toensure their child attends school on every school day unlessthat parent has a reasonable excuse.

http://education.qld.gov.au/everydaycounts/docs/edc-version1-brochure.pdf

School staff are in attendance until the very last day of eachterm. Your student will be provided with a program ofinstruction up to and including the last day. We recommendthat all students attend school every school day. Birthdays,holidays, completing assignments and not wanting to attendschool are not “reasonable” excuses for missing school.

6. The school knows about my child’s anxiety/depression/health condition. Why do I need to keep notifying theschool of their absences? Why do I need to provide amedical certificate?

Answer:

The Education Act states that it is the obligation of a parent toensure their child attends school on every school day unlessthat parent has a reasonable excuse. Parents need to applyfor an Exemption from Schooling, with any required evidence,when a student is expected to be absent from school for aperiod of 10 consecutive days or greater.

http://education.qld.gov.au/everydaycounts/docs/edc-version1-brochure.pdf

Schools provide considerable support to students with physicaland/or mental health conditions, however student health

• Illness

• Family reasons

• Cultural or religious reasons

8

circumstances change. It is important to stay in touch with yourchild’s school case manager regarding their ongoing healthand coping. It is also important to get medical certificates forongoing absences as the school has a duty of care, under theEducation Act, to report on student absences and to ensurethat students are receiving support from appropriate healthcare providers for medical conditions.

It is also important to inform the school of any changes toa student’s listed medical conditions. There is no shame inadmitting to mental health and other medical conditions. Schoolpersonnel are unable to support student wellness if they areunaware of medical conditions.

7. My child is refusing to attend school. I can’t get them toschool. What should I do?

Answer:

The Education Act states that it is the obligation of a parent toensure their child attends school on every school day unlessthat parent has a reasonable excuse. Parents need to applyfor an Exemption from Schooling, with any required evidence,when a student is expected to be absent from school for aperiod of 10 consecutive days or greater.

http://education.qld.gov.au/everydaycounts/docs/edc-version1-brochure.pdf

What to do will depend on the reason/s the student is refusingto attend:

Every day and every minute counts

Just a little bit late doesn’t seem much but …

He/She is

only

missing

just…

The

equals…

Which

is…

and over

13 years of

schooling that’s…

10 minutesper day

50 minutesper week

Nearly 1.5weeks

per year

Nearly half a year

20 minutesper day

1 hour 40mins

per week

Over 2.5weeks

per year

Nearly 1 year

Half an hourper day

Half a dayper week

4 weeksper year

Nearly 1 and a halfyears

1 hour perday

1 day perweek

8 weeksper year

Over 2 and a halfyears

A day off here and there doesn’t seem much but …

He/She is

only

missing…

The

equals…

Which

is…

and over

13 years of

schooling

that’s…

Which is…

1 day

perfortnight

20 days

per year

4weeks

peryear

Nearly

1.5 years

Equal tofinishing ingrade 11

1 day

per week

40 days

per year

8weeks

peryear

Over 2.5 years Equal tofinishing ingrade 10

2 days

per week

80 days

per year

16weeks

peryear

Over 5 years Equal tofinishing in

grade 7

3 days

per week

120 days

per year

24weeks

peryear

Nearly 8 years Equal tofinishing in

grade 4

School starts at 8.40am & finishes at 2.40pm

YOUR FUTURE OPTIONS DEPEND ON YOU

1. If the school refusal is due to a claim of bullying, thenthe most appropriate strategy would be for theparent and student to make an appointment to meetwith a Deputy Principal to discuss the allegedbullying. Be prepared to show any evidence ofbullying such as social media posts.

2. If it is due to a physical/mental health condition, itwould be wise to take your student to your GP todiscuss the issue. It would also be a good idea todiscuss the issue with the Guidance Officer.

3. If it is due to disinterest in school, there might beother approved programs that he/she might be ableto participate in. In this case it would be a good ideafor the parent and student to make an appointmentwith the Deputy Principal or Guidance Officer todiscuss.

4. If the school refusal is due to socialisation problems,the student’s case manager or Head of Year may beable to assist. In this case it would be appropriate forthe student and/or parent to make contact with thecase manager or Head of Year for advice andassistance.

9