School Newsletter - Issue 6 - November 4, 2022

From the Principal's Desk

Dear Families

We’ve had a number of successes since our last newsletter. I’d like to highlight some of these for you. Many other events are celebrated in this newsletter.

Metropolitan Finals

Terrific news! We received confirmation this week that Cleveland District State High School has been awarded champion school for all Metropolitan Finals for a 3^rd year in a row. This is a remarkable accomplishment and a reflection of the outstanding sporting programs at Cleveland, the dedication of coaches and the commitment and talent of our students. The Metropolitan Final is contested by fourteen districts from the Gold Coast out west past Ipswich and north to the Sunshine Coast. So, this is a very significant win for our school!

Performances at the Principals’ Conference

Mr Shane Purnell and Mr Ashley Higgins and our incredible students in Jazz Collective and Featured Drumline performed at the Queensland Principals’ Conference. School leaders from around the state lavished strong praise on the performances. The Minister of Education stayed longer than expected in order to enjoy the talent of our students. A very strong recommendation indeed.

Excellence in the Creative Generation Excellence Awards

Madeline Miles and Marie Masson received Excellence in the Creative Generation Excellence Awards in a Visual Art program. This is an exceptional result, being two of six in South East Region, which is Queensland largest region.  This is also only the second time in our history that we have had two Excellence Award winners in one year. Congratulations to Ms Gayle Price and Ms Tammy Leeuwendal for this wonderful achievement.

Ministerial Student Advisory Council

Earlier in the year, I let you know that Georgia Matthews (Year 11) was selected to be part of the Ministerial Student Advisory Council in Queensland. This has been a wonderful opportunity for her and she has done an important role in this position. Due to this, she was one of only four students selected by the Director General of Education to be filmed and included as part of his address to 1300 principals who attended the Principals’ Conference. Georgia spoke very articulately and senior education leaders spoke very highly of her contributions to the council.

Ultimate Classroom

Two of our Year 12 students, Jaleyna Ferrar and Jemma Griffin, competed recently on the STEM TV show Ultimate Classroom on Channel 10. They have participated in a range of STEM based challenges and spoke very well to demonstrate problem solving and team work. They did our school proud. You can watch their performance in Episode 3 of the show on TENPLAY.

Bandwidth Upgrade

Our school’s bandwidth has been upgraded from 200 Mbps to 4000 Mbps as a result of the new supporting infrastructure. So, students and staff will experience faster and better internet connections as a result of the upgrade.

I wish students a very successful end to the year, especially our Year 12s who are currently completing their external assessment and exams.

Leonard McKeown
DipT BEd GradDipMgt MEd(Res) MBA MACEL MAICD 
Executive Principal

Protecting our Wild Life

Student Council News

This term, Cleveland High has introduced their first ever ‘Bird Strike’ stickers. These are being placed throughout the school to limit the number of wildlife collisions with our windows. With the help of Junior and Senior Student Councils alongside Ms Edwards and Mr McKeown, the first lot of these stickers have now been placed. It has been very rewarding to help our wildlife within the school.  

International Student Program and Multicultural Festival

This term, the international department welcomed seven new students to Cleveland District State High School. Libby and Cindy from Korea, John, Fred and Grace from Vietnam and, Bastian and Jonna from Germany. The students were warmly greeted by a small group of CDSHS students who made sure our new arrivals felt confident enough to navigate the enormous CDSHS campus footprint. Welcome students! We wish you all the best with your studies at our school. 

We also said farewell to Trini (Chile) and Elly (Germany). Thank you for coming to CDHS to experience our Aussie way of life. You are already missed. We wish you all the best with your future studies in your home country. 

On Friday 16^th September, Cleveland District State High School celebrated our annual Multicultural Festival in the school’s amphitheatre event precinct. Following a long Covid-19 hiatus, the festival was back to full strength. Students, teachers and parents banded together to celebrate the many nationalities represented across our CDSHS community.

As always, Eat Street featured heavily, with connoisseurs sampling delicious and unusual foods from across the world. A special shout out goes to all stall holders for truly bringing the flavours of the world to our school. In particular, special mention goes to our senior students (and one year 7 group) who independently coordinated and managed their stalls on the day. It was impressive to see such great leadership not to mention, the money raised for different causes as identified by student and staff.

Our fantastic Opening Ceremony included; a Welcome to Country by Uncle Norman Enoch, the Parade of Nations and, performances by CDSHS students and special guests from UQ Japanese Drumline and Confucius Institute performers.  A competition for ‘best dressed’ saw first, second and third prizes awarded in both student, staff and group categories. As evidenced in the photos, the crowd was not disappointed by the representation of diverse cultures at CDSHS.

Entertainment for the afternoon was provided by our very own CDSHS students and staff from the Arts department. The audience enjoyed a fantastic exhibition of dance, song and music from the unbelievably talented performance students at our school. Bringing a true festival atmosphere to the event, crowds of students also gathered in the amphitheatre seating to appreciate street performances during the break times.

A hearty thanks to the Multicultural Festival Committee for their dedication and perseverance in planning for such a huge event with so many moving parts. Looking forward to 2023, Cleveland District State High School is well and truly ready to celebrate the Multicultural Festival with renewed energy.  See you there!

Congratulations to Albert and our other students who have recently achieved their International Student Water Assessment Certificate.

Congratulations also goes to Vanessa (International student from China studying International Baccalaureate Program) who successfully secured a position at the National Mathematics Summer School. Vanessa has also been awarded a Leon Poladian full scholarship to attend the 2 week-long event in Canberra in January next year. This is an amazing result and well deserved

Cleveland High Vanuatu Mission 2023

Our plans for our 2023 trip to Vanuatu are progressing well. At the start of the trip, we will be based at Alua Primary School in Malekula, and the school community is excited to host us. Our team will aim to make a real difference in the lives of hundreds of ni-Vanuatu school children by installing multiple libraries in Alua and two other neighbouring schools. By working together to help complete this mission, students will give poor children a chance at a much-improved education, putting them on a path to a better future.

In the second part of the trip, we will visit our Sister School, Pango Centre School. We will have a chance to experience some of the best tropical island locations Vanuatu has to offer including waterfalls, blue lagoons, and coral reefs. Vanuatu prides itself as being one of the happiest, most welcoming places on earth, and you would experience real village hospitality.

If you will be in Year 9-12 next year, you still have a chance to join the team.

Parent Information

Our next Parent and Student Information Evening will be held on Monday 28 November from 6:30-8pm in T4. It is essential that parents and students attend this information evening if students are planning to come to Vanuatu next year. We will outline the detailed plans for this trip, including dates, costs, planned itinerary, 2023 pre-trip functions, fundraisers, and other team commitments. Staff, students, and parents are warmly invited to attend.

Application

If you haven’t applied, please talk to or email the chaplains as soon as possible.

Contact

For further details please email the Chappies or visit the Drop-in Centre during lunch.

Chappy Neale at ncoll47@eq.edu.au or Chappy Sarah at swood519@eq.edu.au

Senior Schooling News

Senior Jerseys 2023

Year 11 students and parents, please be aware that the expression of interest notes have been distributed for the 2023 Senior Jerseys.  Orders are open and due by Wednesday 23rd November and sample jerseys are available in G Block Engagement Centre for sizing purposes (during lunchtimes only).  No payments will be accepted this year as the price will also be confirmed early in 2023.

Please Note: To be able to pay for a jersey, the student resource scheme (SRS) for 2022 must be paid in full and the SRS for 2023 either paid in full, or an agreed payment plan with a minimum deposit of $30 paid.

VET Options in 2023

CDSHS will continue to partner with many RTOs in 2023 to provide students in Years 11 and 12 with a variety of part time certificate courses to combine with study at school.  The courses include but are not limited to Business Diplomas, Certs II and III in Health, Cert III in Aviation, Cert IV Justice Studies, as well as Certs in Supply Chain Operations, Construction, Plumbing and Automotive.  Details have been emailed home previously and students should come to the Senior Engagement Centre to book a spot in a 2023 course.

White Card Course

On Friday 28^th October, 9 of our senior students completed the White Card Qualification with our neighbouring registered Training Organisation WYNMET! These students now have gained the relevant knowledge and understanding to actively work on a construction site in a range of job possibilities.

Our students should be praised for their positive behaviour and conduct during their participation in the course, with trainer Kellie stating ‘All the students who came, were absolutely lovely! Well done to Cleveland High in moulding the students in to lovely, well-mannered young adults!’

If any students would like to partake in a White Card Course in the future, please register your interest with the G Block Engagement Centre. 

Full Time Options in 2023

A variety of options continue to be advertised for students finishing up at the end of this year.  It is important that students continue to check emails and DayMap notices for further details.  Two relevant programs that support young people into the workforce are run locally be TURSA and Yourtown.  See links for further information:

https://www.yourtown.com.au/employment/get-set-for-work

https://www.tursa.com.au/participants/transition-to-work/

Principals Merit Awards

Congratulations to over 350 students in Year 10, 11 and 12 who have met the criteria for a “Principal’s Merit Award”.  These awards are not based on Academic achievement, but are awarded to students who consistently display exemplary behaviour and outstanding effort across all of their subjects.  These awards will be distributed at year level assemblies over the coming weeks.

Year 12 Formal 2022

Friday 21^st October saw the year 12s come together for their formal at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was a wonderful event with the students dressed in their finery, celebrating friendship and their time as students here. Thanks to the meticulous organisation of Mr Ashley Brown, with the support from many staff, this much-anticipated event was everything it promised to be. The student awards, the photo booths and the dance floor were all extremely popular, with long-lasting memories made.

SENIOR SCHOOL IMPORTANT DATES

16 November - Sports Awards
17 November – Presentation Night
18 November – Year 12 Graduation
18 November – ATARs released
25 November- Last day for Year 10 and 11

Mayoral Prayer Breakfast

On the 25^th of October, Junior leaders, Student Council members Cody Clancy and Cooper MacKillop, Ms Edwards, Mr Mitchell, Chappy Neale, Chappy Sarah and Ms Ingram attended the 20^th Anniversary Redland City Mayoral Prayer Breakfast supporting chaplaincy programs in Redlands Coast State schools. Our school’s String Ensemble performed and one of our brilliant young singers sang for the gathering.  

The breakfast was a fundraiser for school chaplaincy on the Redlands Coast, as well as an opportunity for council members, students and chaplains to come together and understand the incredible work of chaplaincy in the area. Chaplaincy plays a crucial role in our school culture. From pancake breakfast mornings to having someone to talk to, our school would not be the same without them.

Chappy Neale and Sarah are outstanding chaplains and we are very lucky to have them. They are always there to lend us a hand, and to help people out. After being a part of the chaplaincy committee for a while, I understand the incredible work that happens behind the scenes to get events in motion. I believe it is very important to show our appreciation.

Liam

Junior Leader

French Food Appreciation

Our Junior and Senior students studying French had the opportunity to taste some iconic French food including; different types of cheese such as brie, goat cheese, oval, camembert, comté; as well as pâté (duck liver meat); pain au chocolat (chocolate bread); croissant, brioche; baguette; pain de campagne (country-style bread); crêpes and biscottes. Students were taken on a cultural journey where they discovered how flavours vary in cheeses according to their type (soft, hard, crumbly) and aging process, the differences between raw (unpasteurised) and pasteurised cheese as well as the “cheese etiquette” when it comes to cutting cheese. Some students were brave enough to try all food offered while others played it safe sticking with the bread and pastries.

It was great for students to finally be able to try some traditional French food after talking about it so many times in class. We hope to be able to do it again with our classes to come.

News from our P & C

Next and final P&C Meeting for 2023 is on Nov 22^nd@7pm in the Innovation Centre F9 - F10 located behind the language block. Entry is via Russell Street.

Tuckshop

The tuckshop is looking for volunteers to join our wonderful team in 2023. If you would like to come in and help for a day to get to know how the Tuckshop runs, meet the amazing ladies who keep the students coming back for more every day and, have a day to spare every week, few weeks or month, please get in contact with Tina Hauser at the Tuckshop on 3824 9214. We’d love to meet you.

The Tuckshop team wish all the current Yr 12’s the best of luck as they embark on their next adventure. It has been a pleasure serving them and getting to know them over the past 6 years.

Uniform Shop

Parents / Caregivers – By Appointment ONLY will be starting soon for all new students. If you have students going into Yr. 7 or Yr. 10 next year, please  come and see us (or your students can) by week 8.

Flexischool Orders – We still have orders sitting in the shop awaiting pickup, if they are not picked up by Thursday 01/12/2022 at the very latest, they will go back into stock ready for our busiest time of year and, we cannot guarantee having these items in stock at the beginning of T1,2023. Orders can only be picked up during the shops open hours and only during term time, please note, we are not able to leave them in the office for pickup either.

Layby –COME IN FOR NEXT YEAR before the rush. Available in store only.  Come in and organise a layby for end of year, beginning of next year pick up, if you have a new student starting or junior heading into senior in 2023.

Second hand clothing – Please remember we cannot accept any items that are not freshly laundered, dried, and pressed if needed, or that is not CURRENT uniform. Any items that we cannot resell or donate must be taken away with you as we do not have a large storage area. For the full policy, please see the pdf on the schools Uniform Shop webpage.

General – A big thank you to all our lovely students, parents and carers who are always so polite when they come into the shop, we do appreciate it and we look forward to seeing all our new Seniors come in for their uniforms soon!

Shop Hours during term are MON, TUE, and THURS 8am – 10.30am. 

Library News

Opening Hours in 2022

Monday – 8am to 4pm

Tuesday – 8am to 4pm (Homework Club from 2.45pm to 4pm)

Wednesday – 8am to 3pm

Thursday – 8am to 4pm (Homework Club from 2.45pm to 4pm)

Friday – 8am to 3pm

Wellbeing in the Library

In collaboration with Mental Health Awareness Week, Library staff have created a Calming Corner in the Library. Students who feel they need to relax, calm their breathing and find a space to just be, can come to the Library and sit in one of our makeshift massage chairs. They can unwind, read a book or magazine and be restful. Sometimes it’s all they need to keep going on a busy day.

Outstanding Resources

At the end of Term 3, Year 12 students received email notification of any outstanding and current resources they have from the Library. Year 12 students may hold onto their books until after their formal External Examinations, but they must return all resources before their Graduation.

Students from Year 7 to Year 11 are asked to return all Library resources by Week 7. This allows time for the Library staff to ensure all books are returned before the Summer Holidays.

Please encourage your student to return their novels and textbooks in a timely manner and in good condition.

Borrowing

Please note that all borrowing ceases at the end of Week 5, Term 4. This allows time for students to return books to the Library for processing before the holidays.

Lost and Found

If your student has lost property, please send them to the Library as we have many hats, jumpers, pencil cases and drink bottles. We also have Go cards, earrings, sunglasses and spectacles. Please note that at the end of each semester we donate any uncollected items to charity and/or the Junior and Senior Engagement Centres.

Happy reading from the CDSHS Library Team!

ADF Work Experience

Year 12 student Aizak Wong recently participated in the ADF Work Day Experience on the 21st of September at the RAAF Amberley Air Force Base and, was 1 of only 36 participants who were fortunate enough to be chosen to be part of this wonderful opportunity to get an insight into the different types of aviation roles within the Air Force. He also got to check out all the different types of planes including; the amazing Super Hornet, and C-17! Aizak said of his experience, “Not only did the work experience give me a deep insight into all the aviation roles, but I also was able to speak to the amazing cadets and leaders of the ADF who provided great information to my future studies and career into other roles that are available within ADF!”  Well done Aizak, you represented yourself and your school with pride!

Bandana Gold Coin Day

On Friday the 28^th October, Cleveland High held our annual ‘Bandana Gold Coin Day’ - to celebrate young people whose lives have been turned upside down by cancer. This Gold Coin Day is held in conjunction with ‘Day for Daniel’; Australia’s National Day of Action to raise awareness for child safety, protection, and prevention in memory of Daniel Morcombe. We were overjoyed to see students in colourful bandana’s, red accessories, and in their own clothes to show their support for these great initiatives. Overall, the day was a great success as we saw the CDSHS community come together to raise money for these great causes.

News from the Creative Arts Dept

This term started with a flurry of performances! The excellence of our ensembles was recognised by our community with invitations to perform at a variety of events. Jazz Collective was invited to play at the 2022 Principals’ Conference.  They played a wonderful 40minute set and gained high praise from all; with our Minister of Education staying to the end of the performance to congratulate our students. Our Chamber Strings ensemble were also invited to perform for a Redlands Council event and provided beautiful music for the occasion. Well done to the students and teachers of these ensembles!   Photo: Jazz Collective at the 2022 Principals’ Conference

Music Showcase

In Week 2 of this term, all of our Music Ensembles and Choirs presented a fabulous night of music to an appreciative audience of family and friends. Treated to a range of styles from jazz and pop to the classics, with the addition of some impressive original student compositions, audiences enjoyed the enthusiasm and musicianship on display.  Congratulations to our talented students and teachers on a beautiful night of music!

Dance Fusion

Week 2 of this term was huge for the Creative Arts team with our Dance Fusion show the day after Music Showcase.  Nearly 200 performers put on a terrific show full of colour, energy and synchronised talent.  From hip-hop, lyrical, jazz, tap, contemporary and musical theatre genres, audiences were wowed by the impressive variety in both solo and ensemble work.   Congratulations to all student performers and choreographers and their inspiring teachers on a wonderful night of entertainment.

Photos: Dance Fusion

Creative Generations – Excellence in Visual Art

Congratulations to Year 12 Visual Art students, Marie Masson and Madeline Miles, who are amongst only 30 students in Queensland to win this year’s prestigious Creative Generation Excellence in Visual Art Award.  The Creative Generation Excellence Awards in Visual Art recognise and promote excellence in senior visual art education throughout Queensland state and non-state schools.  Hundreds of entries are received and we were very pleased to have four finalists nominated this year and are very proud that two of our students have been singled out for their highly creative work.  Congratulations to the students and their teachers, Gayle Price and Tammy Leeuwendal.  Their work, You And Me But Never You (Marie Masson) and Full-Blooded Theatrics (Madeline Miles) will be on display at GOMA next year.

Rock Arvo

Earlier this term audiences were thrilled to come along to our second Rock Arvo for the year and enjoy hearing the energy and talent of our ‘Rockschool’ students, as well as Year 10 band, ‘Amplify’, and Year 9 prodigy, Brax.  Every Friday afternoon our Rockschool rehearses in the performance space – amps and distortion at full volume!  From Brax’s original music to some classic rock tunes, the packed audience were treated to a great afternoon of music – well done to all our performers and their teachers!  We’re already looking forward to the next show!

Creative Arts in the Classroom

Media in Practice

Year 12 Media Arts students created animations for their final assessment item. These animations were based on local indigenous stories, language and perspectives they found when researching artists and writers from Quandamooka.  Enjoy images of this great work below:

Hayden and Erin created an animation based on a dreaming story of how the moon was created:

Oscar was inspired by the book ‘Where are all the sea creatures?’ by local writer, Sandra Delaney, which teaches children about animals in both Jandai and English:

Izaak created an animation based on the dreaming stories of lightning on Moreton Island:

Visual Art

On Monday, our grade 11 Visual Art students took their first leap into grade 12 as they worked with Moreton Bay ceramicist, Anna Turnbull. Anna shared with students her personal approach to working with ceramics. She then guided students along the Black Swamp Wetlands and through the Cleveland Cemetery to gather visual stimulus to fuel their own art making practice for summative assessment. After returning to school from the two site visits, Anna engaged students in a ceramic workshop where they ‘reimagined’ their walk and body moving through the landscape using mark making techniques on clay surfaces.  We look forward to seeing how their Art works develop next year!

Student Point of View – Sarah, Junior Creative Arts Ambassador

In my opinion some of the best and biggest opportunities the school has to offer for the Creative Arts is the Music Showcase and Dance Fusion. These two events are nights filled with performances from talented, hardworking students and it allows these students to showcase their abilities and passion.

Music Showcase focused on the music component of the Arts, showcasing vocal ensembles, bands, and orchestras with their excellent performances. Dance Fusion also showcased several performances but focused on the dance component of the Arts, presenting dance team, solo and musical theatre performances.

Not only did the opportunity to perform and showcase our talents make these nights great, but also the opportunity to do something fun with our friends and perform together. For me, as part of Junior Choir, Junior C-Club and Musical Theatre Troupe, performing, and getting ready with my friends, as well as hanging out in between acts were some of the best parts of these showcases.

In addition to this, we got to watch the other performances in between our own ones, and I have to say - they were amazing. The performances in general got great feedback from the public and school and I wholeheartedly agree with that and am happy to hear it because everyone who performed, helped set up the show, run the show and mc the show put so much time and effort into their contributions to the show. All year we have been preparing for these events, rehearsing our performances, and advancing our skills.

Overall, the nights were a success, with some excellent performances. Hanging out with friends and performing what we had been practicing all year was great. It was a wonderful way to showcase our skills and have fun watching each other and performing in our groups.  Can’t wait to do it again next year!

MOST and C-Gen Applications

Nominations for the MOST 2023 program are now open and will close on Friday 17 February 2023. MOST is an opportunity for Queensland’s ‘Musically Outstanding Students’ (MOST) to be involved in a 10 day residential workshop to develop their skills.  This intensive program culminates in a concert in the first week of the June holidays.

Students can nominate for MOST 2023, the CGEN Symphony Orchestra or both programs through one streamlined process.

To apply for MOST 2023, see your Instrumental teacher first if interested. Then an online nomination form must be completed and audition footage submitted through the CGEN/MOST nomination website. During the online nomination process, coordinating teachers will be requested to indicate whether students are nominating for MOST 2023 (only), the CGEN Symphony Orchestra (only), or both programs.

Date Claimers:

Jazz under the Stars: Sunday, November 6, 5.00-8.30pm (Set up at 4.15pm)

Arts Awards: Tuesday November 15, 6.30pm

Year 7 Science - Water Cycle

At the end of a very busy term 3, The Science class 7K was happily learning about the water cycle. As a friendly competition, students were asked to write a story about the life a drop of water may have in the water cycle. While we had many fantastic entries, and it was nearly impossible to pick just one winner, we eventually settled on a tale written by one of the students about a drip living in the shadow of their brother. We hope you enjoy reading her story as much as I did.

Life of a Drip

Once I was a puddle in a parking lot and now, I’m a part of the rainbows that paint the skies…

…but I wasn’t always a beautiful view. Evaporation was the first trouble I had to go through. I was boiled with the heat of the sun until you couldn’t see my droplet form. I’d finally reached the condensation stage. While floating up to the clouds, I called my family. I really thought my mum would be proud that I could join the droplets in the clouds. But all she said was how proud of my brother she was. RING RING. “You know, your brother already makes up the clouds. Be more like him!” she yelled at me. I expected her to be proud. “Maybe if I be like him, she’d notice me for once” is what went through my head.

Once I reached the cloud headquarters, I realised I needed to work harder to make my mum proud. I sat in the cloud for weeks and weeks. Finally, we were let go from the cloud. Apparently, it’s called precipitation. I just call it rain. The other raindrops and I all raced to the ground. I called my mum one more time, RING RING. “You know, your brother already finished his precipitation stage. Be more like him!”. This time, my water was boiling. “I don’t want to join the other drops on the ground!” was all that went through my head.

After many minutes that felt like hours, most of the water droplets finally landed somewhere, a park, house windows, even on planes. Out of nowhere, the sun came out again. I was hit with the sun’s rays. My colours were reflected into the rainbow. I accomplished something better than my brother! I didn’t feel the need to call my mum though. If she really knew me, she could spot me in the rainbow. Finally, I can feel important.

Beyond the Broncos

Term 4 and the year is almost finished! At the end of term 3, the year 12s were recognised for their achievements. There was a lovely ceremony held at the Suncorp stadium. It was wonderful watching all the students being presented with their certificates. Congratulations to all those students graduating in a few weeks.

Term 4 workshop, with it being the last of the year, featured fun and games. The students loved it and developed co-operation and communication skills as they participated team in the team building activities presented by the ambassadors.

OPPORTUNITIES: Now that BCF are proud sponsor of the Broncos, they are hiring!  We encourage Beyond Broncos participants to apply for available positions. If you’d like to apply, send me an email, or come into the library and I can assist you with your application. Coles and Rebel are also hiring.

UPCOMING EVENTS: We will be holding an end of year party for students in the Beyond the Broncos program (TBA), to celebrate the end of the year and the successes achieved. Congratulations to students who received term 3 rewards for good attendance, participation and behaviour.

Jadeen Chisolm SSO  Jadeen.chisholm@broncos.com.au

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander News

As twelve years of education comes to a close, we give our thirteen Year 12s our best wishes for their exams and future directions upon graduation. It was lovely to celebrate their final year at the formal. They all looked stunning and we all had a great time dancing the night away.

Georgia Matthews, one of our Year 11 students continues to represent students’ views on the Ministerial Student Advisory Council (MSAC).

“This term, I have attended my second ever Ministerial Student Advisory Council meeting. When I wrote about the first meeting, I mentioned how progressive and productive I thought it was. I remember discussing a better mental health support system for students, and during this meeting we actually got to see the product of our discussions which was very exciting. "A Respectful Relationships" website was created which provides a resource for students, teachers, and parents to become more educated on how to encourage positive relationships and  how to deal with the youth going through mental health issues . This was exactly what the council wanted to provide to the education community, and it was very fulfilling to see this change being made due to our discussions (see link  below to the website created).

During this meeting we also discussed equity and excellence within the school community. We were all asked what we thought these words meant to students. I mainly discussed equity within school, and what equity vs. equality was. Equality is when everyone, no matter if they are a part of a marginalised group or aren’t as advantaged as their peers, get the same resources and support to succeed. This creates an unequal support system, as students with certain needs aren’t being focused on and therefore aren’t able to achieve as well as the students who are already advantaged. I believe in equity over equality, as equity focus’ on the needs of individuals. It provides resources and support for students who need help, who are a part of a marginalised group, so we can all have the resources to succeed and excel equally. I was asked to talk about this on camera, which was very daunting for me, though I pushed through it as I knew it was a great opportunity to share my thoughts with the community, and to encourage discussions about these important topics.”

Georgia

Vanuatu Gift Boxes

Congratulations to those students who purchased items and assisting packing gifts boxes filled with stationery, clothes, toys and personal health items. Children in remote villages in Vanuatu will receive special gifts this Christmas. What a great way to share and be of service.

School Bus Pass 2023

Parenting is not easy -Research Study

Crime Prevention Corner - What are the vaping laws in Qld?

Kokoda Youth Foundation- Free Digital Detox Program for ages 12-14 years

Christmas Volunteer Opportunities

Do you work or know a young person over the age of 18? We are looking to recruit a group of volunteers during the Christmas period.  This is an ideal opportunity to add value to their resume.  Each Christmas a team of passionate and wonderful volunteers come together to help make Christmas special for local families in our community. From creating personalised gift bags, to packing Christmas food parcels, decorating for Christmas lunches and MORE.

To register your interest in this incredible opportunity please call Nadia on 3245 2117 or email volunteer@redlandcommunitycentre.org.

Nadia Packer

Volunteer Coordinator (Mon to Fri – 8.30am to 3.00pm)

P 07 3245 2117 | M 0480 283 097 | F 07 3245 3019
E volunteer@redlandcommunitycentre.org | W www.redlandcommunitycentre.org

29 Loraine Street  Capalaba QLD 4157  |  PO Box 337 Capalaba QLD 4157

QCOSS – Community Impact Award 2022 | FINALIST

Redlands Coast Chamber of Commerce | Business Excellence Awards 2022 | Health & Social Services |WINNER