School Newsletter - Issue 2 - March 2023

From the Principal's Desk

Dear Families

We’ve had a very productive Term 1 with the vast majority of our students engaging in their studies successfully and participating in a rich array of co-curricular activities. It’s been positive that the term wasn’t interrupted by lock downs nor rain events and this has allowed a much more settled and positive start to the year. This newsletter highlights a section of great events that showcases our school’s culture and values.

I wish all students and staff a successful end of the term and a safe and relaxing break with their families.

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

War Animal Day - Friday 24 February

On Friday 24th February the Student Council President and Ms Edwards attended the War Animal Day 2023, hosted by Redlands RSL Sub Branch. It was an honour to represent our school and pay our respect for animals who have supported our military personnel.  

Animals have been put to many uses in war, serving as transport, beasts of burden, messengers, protectors, mascots, and pets. They have played an important part in all wars in which Australians have been involved. (Redlands RSL Facebook)

Q Parents at Cleveland High

VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – for Parents/Carers

Introducing: Consent Management

Consent Management is a new process that will be implemented this term, supporting the distribution and collection of consent/permissions from parents for student’s school related activities – Excursions, Consent for school-based activity and Consent for online access.

To access this process – Parents/Carers must be registered for QParents

The QParents web and mobile application provides an easy way for you to interact with our school. QParents allows you to connect instantly with our school to access and manage your student’s information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Behaviour information, Events, Exam and Assessment Dates
• Academic report cards & Timetables
• Digital Consent Management for excursions etc – through the consent management module
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating personal student details, including medical conditions and address

Head to https://qparents.qld.edu.au to register an account.

Identity Verification

To obtain full access to student information, as part of the QParents registration users must complete an identity verification process. QParents offers two options for identity verification – online and offline.

You will also need to have your child’s EQ ID (this is the 10 digit and 1 letter code and can be found on their Daymap or OneSchool timetable) in order to complete your QParents registration. Please contact the school to obtain this if you cannot find it.

Daymap

Once you have an approved QParents account, you will also be able to access Daymap. This will enable Parents/Carers to access – Students attendance records, see homework tasks and assessment and view the school calendar.

Safe and secure QParents

QParents is a secure portal that meets strict industry standards. The Department of Education and Training considers student information to be confidential. Only people with the right to access information about their child will be given an account.

2023 Next Step Year 12 Completers Survey

All our students who completed Year 12 last year will soon receive an invitation to do the Next Step survey. The short five-minute survey asks graduates about the study and work they have been doing since finishing school. The results from the survey help our school improve our senior programs and prepare students for work and further study.

We ask parents, siblings and friends to encourage our graduates to complete the survey. If their contact details have changed, please assist survey interviewers with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate. Graduates may receive an invitation by mail, email or phone. The survey can be completed online or by phone.

For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit www.qld.gov.au/nextstep.

Junior Leaders: Bayside Student Leadership Cluster Day

Recently, Junior Leaders attended the Bayside Student Leadership Cluster at Cleveland District SHS. The leadership day was an event with many opportunities for Cleveland District SHS, Cleveland SS, Ormiston SS, Thornlands SS, Mt Cotton SS, Bayview SS, and Dunwich SS to learn and grow their understanding of leadership, and what it means to be a leader. With the direction of Unleashing Personal Potential, the students, teamed up together in many different activities. Students from various cluster schools worked together to solve and participate in many fun and engaging activities to understand how leading can affect and inspire others, and how to lead in a responsible way.

Reporting Comments - Update

After consultation with parents, teachers, students and community members during 2022, the Reporting Comments Task Force presented their recommendations to School Council and P&C in November last year. The recommendation to no longer use reporting comments from 2023 was resoundingly approved by both the School Council and P&C.

Given that there will be no comments for the upcoming Interim Reports, each student will be assigned a progress grade¸ with an ‘A’ indicating very good progress, ‘B’ indicating good progress, ‘C’ indicating satisfactory progress and ‘D’ unsatisfactory progress in a particular subject.

Of course, A-E grades will also be assigned for Effort and Behaviour, as per normal.

What progress means, and specific explanation regarding progress in Years 11 and 12, will be provided in a paragraph in the body of the Report, as well as in the email sent to all parents when Interim Reports are issued on Friday 21^st April.

Teachers are always happy to discuss how your child is progressing, and we invite all parents to book for a parent-teacher interview on Wednesday 3^rd May.

News from our Student Council

Term One has been a very busy term for Student Council. We have successfully run fundraisers at the swimming carnival and cross country. Held our annual Easter Raffle and last Friday we ran the biggest Shave for a Cure at Cleveland High in the last 10 years. We had 10 Shavers and we raised over $10000.  A huge thank you to our Ten shavers who were brave and shaved Tahlia, Jacqui, Cooper, Dexter, Koan, Raff, Lucas, Lochlan, Zac and Mrs Bevan their heads for this cause. I would like to acknowledge Mrs Dowling, Mrs Jodie Spinner and Mrs Mandy Allan for their assistance in the running of this event. (See the Shave for Cure report within this newsletter for more details and pictures).

Early next term we are participating in Honour the Fallen and participating in the Redlands’ RSL Anzac March, Dawn and Day Service.  We will be selling ANZAC badges through the front office to support our veterans.

I would like to thank the representatives and Cleveland High’s community for supporting our events this term. It has been a very successful Term One.

Upcoming Events

17 April - Poppy Garden
19 April - Cleveland’s High ANZAC Service
20 April - Honour the Fallen
25 April - ANZAC Day
26 April – Junior Student Council Meeting
27 April – Senior Student Council Meeting

Easter Raffle Winners

The winners of the Easter Raffle are

1. Issac F
2. John F
3. Mrs Clark (Assistant Dean)

Thank you for everyone who purchased a ticket and supporting Student Council.

Japanese Volunteers

The Languages Department welcomes volunteers back with welcome arms.  The past 2 weeks our Japanese studying students have had the added bonus of two university students from Japan to assist them in the classroom, Ms Sarara Arai and Ms Kurumi Nakajima.  Having native speakers is an incredibly valuable resource for both students and teachers, naturally providing an authentic learning experience through everyday interaction and communication. Some lovely reflections received from students are below:

“I really enjoyed having the Japanese university student in our class on Wednesday because it was really fun and she was super helpful and kind. I liked how it was different from our normal class and how she helped everyone. She was really sweet too and really good at teaching. It was a great experience and it would be fun to do again.” - Summer

“It was a very fun experience to have a Japanese university student in our class. She was very kind and it was interesting to try to translate what she was saying when she introduced herself. Her help was nice, and she was always happy to help us as well.” - Nadia

“It was a great experience having a Japanese University student in our class today. She started off by doing a real Japanese introduction for the whole class as soon as she walked in, which was a great experience as most of us had never heard or experienced that before. We also learnt new words and their meanings from the introduction, which helped us expand our Japanese vocabulary. Afterwards, once we started the worksheets, she helped us with them and helped us to break down Japanese sentences and taught us the meanings of other Japanese words we did not know the meaning of. It was very helpful having her there to help us and to teach us new Japanese words. Overall, it was very helpful having a Japanese University student helping us around the room and teaching us, and I am definitely looking forward to having her in our classroom again.” - Madeline  

News from our P & C

As Term 1 has comes to an end the CDSHS P&C Executive and staff wish all the students, school staff and local community a safe and enjoyable break. We look forward to a very exciting Term 2 as the new Tuckshop nears completion.

Our next P&C meeting is May 23^rd in the Innovation Centre F9 - F10 located behind the language block. Entry is via Russell Street. New members always welcome.

Tuckshop

The Tuckshop continues to do what it does best under the guidance of Tina Hauser, our wonderful Tuckshop Manager. The students continue to keep our amazing staff very busy with their meal preferences and during these warm humid days, their love of icy cups! Order numbers for Flexischools are at an all-time high and every day as busy as the next. It’s business as usual all around.

Uniform Shop

Winter Stock – is now available, you can purchase via flexischools or come into the shop.  Students are always welcome to come in and try on to check sizing.

Socks – Our socks are the school preference, and we advise all parents to purchase them.  We ensure they are of the best quality possible as they are worn every day by our students and that the price is kept as low as reasonably achievable.  The grey socks with double maroon band, will be back in stock around week 2-3 of term 2, anyone that has ordered them already, these will be put aside, and we will let you know they are here ready for pickup.  As soon as we have them, they will be available on flexischools for ordering also.

Refunds and Exchanges – We are happy to exchange sizing for purchased items, but they must not be worn or washed (trying on garments for size is fine).  We adhere to QLD fair trade laws regarding refunds.

Flexischools Orders – Any orders placed online are to be picked up during our shop hours only, we cannot leave them at the front office for you.  If an item is not available online, it will also not be available in the shop. Students are welcome to come and pick up the orders.

Goodbye from Mel – There will be a change in guard at the Uniform Shop as of Term 2 as I will be leaving.  I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as your Uniform Shop Manager and have had many laughs and the odd tear with parents, carers, staff, and students over the last 6 years.  I thank you all so much for your support and wish you all the very best for the future.

Kind regards
Mel Murray

Shave for a Cure: CDSHS Raises Over $10,000 for Leukaemia Foundation

On Thursday 23 March, we held our annual Shave for a Cure - Leukaemia Foundation Fundraiser. This year we have 10 shavers (both students and staff!) shaving their heads for this fantastic cause, which is the largest Shave for a Cure event at CDSHS for the past 15 years. Our brave shavers include: Cooper, Dexter, Koan, Raff, Tahlia, Jacqui, Lucas, Zach, Lochlan and Mrs Bevan.

A massive THANK YOU to the students and staff that got together to Shave for a Cure and raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation! Together $11482.80 (a combination of the shavers fundraising and Gold Coin Day), smashing our goal of $5000! It is so heart-warming to see the efforts of our staff and students and the amount of funds they have raised for such a worthy cause. 

Student council would like to thank Mrs Louise Dowling (teacher) and Mrs Jodie Spinner (parent) for being our hairdressers, and Cleveland High's AV Tech Crew Team for setting up the venue and event. A special thanks also to the parents and families who have supported their students and allowing them to participate in this year's Shave for a Cure.

Student Council would like to thank everyone who donated and support our shavers this year, because this has been our best year in the last 20 years and every cent counts.

Vanessa 
School Captain

Year 7 and 9 Japanese Calligraphy

The Year 7 and 9 Japanese students had 2 calligraphy sessions this week. They practiced difficult Kanji characters, emphasising the importance of brush strokes and their role in conveying emotions and meanings. The students then created unique pieces of art, combining their newly learnt techniques with their own creativity.

The calligraphy lesson provided the students with an understanding of Japanese culture and art.
It allowed them to appreciate the beauty of the Japanese language and gained respect for the traditions and customs of Japan.

The students were enthusiastic, with many of them commenting on how much they enjoyed learning about Japanese culture and trying something new.

Overall, the lesson was engaging and fun, providing the students with valuable insights into Japanese culture and art.

Homework Centre

It has been a busy term with many students making use of the support from teachers and teacher aides to complete homework in airconditioned comfort on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. We even broke an attendance record with over 90 students attending one afternoon. Thanks to all of the teachers who volunteer their time to support our students.

If you have returned a permission form for regular attendance at Homework Centre please remember to notify us if your child is absent for designated days attending or if the day/s attending has changed or if they will no longer be attending on a regular basis.

Well done to Raf, one of our regular Homework Centre attenders (featured at the front of the photo) who recently had his hair shaved in the World’s Greatest Shave and thanks to staff and students who supported by donating to wear a Hawaiian shirt for the day.

For any queries or notifications about the Homework Centre please contact us on 38249216 or me, Wendy Ingram, on wingr1@eq.edu.au

Have a great break.

Best wishes
Ms Ingram

Warehouse Day 2023

The Library Project – Vanuatu needs your help

Link and Launch Program

Each year, we are proud of our students who complete Year 12.  From school, many of our students go on to further study, training and employment and ultimately, make positive contributions to our community.

Among each group of Year 12 students, there are some who need additional support to successfully transition to further study, training or work. 

The Link and Launch program is designed to help these young people decide what further study, training or employment might be best for them and to assist them in pursuing their chosen pathway.

How the program works

Our Link and Launch officer, Gemma, connects with young people who have completed Year 12 but not yet transitioned to further study, training or work. Gemma can assist young people to navigate the system and consider a range of post-school study, training and work options in line with their individual goals, aspirations, skills and strengths. Link and Launch aims to support young people to make independent choices that will equip them to make a successful transition. Some of the options young people may consider through the program include:

• free apprenticeships and traineeships for under 25s
• fee free TAFE
• Skilling Queenslanders for Work programs
• alternative entry to university
• finding employment

Our school hosts the program

Our school is one of the 37 sites in Queensland selected to run the Link and Launch program. We are proud to offer Link and Launch assistance to any local young people who have completed Year 12, regardless of which school they attended.

Who can get involved

Young people who are not in education, employment or training and who completed Year 12 in the previous two years are eligible to join the program. Older Year 12 graduates who may benefit from the program are also welcome to make contact. All eligible young people who have completed their senior studies can participate irrespective of where they went to school. 

Students currently enrolled at our school are not eligible to join the program as we already provide them with career guidance and planning support as part of their schooling. 

Does it work?

Hundreds of young people across Queensland have already accessed the Link and Launch program. By December 2022, more than 2300 young people had been supported to make successful transitions from school into study, training or work.

A long-term follow-up study shows that 87.2% of young people were still engaged in education, training or employment 18 months after they were supported by their Link and Launch officer to make a transition.

If you'd like to hear what young people have to say about Link and Launch, check out the videos at http://www.qld.gov.au/linkandlaunch

Please get in touch

If you or a young person you know might benefit from this kind of support, please contact Gemma to start the conversation by calling the main office on 3824 9222 to make an appointment with Gemma on Monday through to Thursdays or call her directly on 0455559897

Year 7 Chinese 「 你(nǐ)要(yào)吃(chī)吗(ma)？」(Would you like some?)

Year 7 Chinese students had a special cultural lesson, where they learned how to make Chinese dumplings! As part of their cultural studies, the students have learnt about some Chinese festivals, with a particular focus on Chinese New Year.

To mark the occasion, the students were taught how to make dumplings, which are considered the most traditional food eaten during Chinese New Year. The students were led through the process of folding the dumplings, showing them the traditional technique for shaping and sealing the dumpling!

Making dumplings is a fun and interactive way for the students to learn about Chinese culture, as it allows them to participate in a hands-on activity while learning about a key aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations. It also helps to promote cross-cultural understanding and appreciation, as the students gain a deeper appreciation for the traditions and customs of another culture.

The students were engaged and enthusiastic throughout the lesson, with many of them commenting on how much they enjoyed learning about Chinese culture and trying something new. For some students, it was their first time making dumplings, while others had prior experience.

Overall, the dumpling-making lesson was a success, with the students gaining valuable insights into Chinese culture and traditions. The school is committed to providing students with opportunities to learn about different cultures and to promote diversity and inclusion in the classroom. We hope that the students will continue to explore and appreciate different cultures and traditions throughout their education!

News from our Creative Arts Department

Our Creative Arts team have been working hard this term to promote the Arts and encourage our school community to celebrate significant events in our school calendar.  For International Women’s Day our Creative Arts Ambassadors organised a collaborative Art project for our school community as well as a lunchtime concert featuring the songs of significant female artists.  For Harmony Day our Art Club created some beautiful posters celebrating themes of kindness and belonging, and our Ambassadors organised a lunchtime activity for students to create friendship bracelets.  Our Creative Arts team is proud to be able to contribute to a creative culture of well-being and harmony in our school community through these events. 

Extra-Curricular News:

Each year state schools from all around Queensland nominate students to be involved in the Creative Generations: State Schools on Stage performance showcase. We are proud to announce that a number of our Music and Dance students have successfully auditioned for featured ensembles: congratulations to Hamish in Year 11, and Year 8 students, Kira and Liam, who will be featured in the C-Gen Drum Line.  Congratulations also to Year 11 students, Cody  and Hannah, and Year 8 student, who have successfully auditioned for Featured Dance Ensembles.  We have nearly 30 students who have made it into C-Gen this year – well done to all involved in what will undoubtedly be another great showcase of the talent in Qld State Schools at the Convention Centre in July.  Tickets for this performance are now on sale through Ticketek.

All of our Music, Dance and Drama extra-curricular ensembles have been busily working towards performances and eisteddfods coming up next term, as well as our production of The Addams Family, to be held later in the year.  Keep an eye on the school’s Facebook page for information about these events, and we hope that you will come along to support our wonderful Creative Arts programs.  See below, our Senior Percussion Ensemble are busy preparing an exciting program of music for 2023, including thinking outside the box with repertoire for anything but traditional instruments! Watch out for some pop-up performances around the school!

Rock Arvo

Last Friday afternoon, the talents of our rock musicians were showcased in a concert featuring our extra-curricular ensemble, Rockschool, Year 11 band, Amplify and Year 10 student, Brax.  The buzz and energy in the room was enjoyed by a supportive audience of faithful groupies – congratulations to all of our talented student performers and thanks to Mr Simon Watson and Mr Aaron Andrews for putting on the event.

Creative Arts Student Spotlight:

Year 12 Drama student, Taleeya, is setting her sights firmly on a career on stage and screen.

Taleeya has been studying Drama in the classroom since Year 9 and is now spreading her wings with great success.  Fresh from a year of stage acting training with the prestigious Queensland Theatre Youth Ensemble, Taleeya recently auditioned for, and was successful in being offered, a place in NIDA’s (National Institute of Dramatic Art) 2023 Young Actors’ Studio. She considers herself fortunate and honoured to be selected as one of only seven young actors in Queensland afforded the opportunity to participate in this intensive year-long acting program. She is excited and looking forward to the challenge of honing her acting skills under the guidance of the professional educators at Australia’s number one Drama school.

Never one to be idle, Taleeya is also currently appearing in the adult production of High School Musical on Stage with Brisbane Arts Theatre. For the last few months, she has been busy rehearsing and training over 15 hours a week, with her fellow cast members and production staff, to bring this high-energy show to the stage. She is now about to embark on a live 18-show season, running from March to May, 2023 at the renowned Brisbane Arts Theatre. Go Wildcats Go!

Creative Arts in the Classroom

Year 7 and 8 Creative Arts

In Year 7 Creative Arts, students have been exploring the topic of storytelling as they engage in a combination of Dance and Drama activities.  In one of the warm-up activities students were given a stimulus image and asked to respond creatively in one of three ways: Writing, Drawing or Creating.  Year 7 students created a variety of thoughtful responses that demonstrate their developing creative thinking skills.  Well done students!

In Year 8 Creative Arts this term, our Visual Art students have explored their environment and how key art elements are used to communicate meaning and purpose. Students have engaged with a range of artworks and identified how other artists use visual conventions and viewpoints to communicate ideas and have explored techniques and processes to communicate meaning in their artworks.  They then created their own art works exploring seascapes, utilising line and contrast to convey meaning.  Keep up the great work students – these artworks are beautiful!

In Year 8 Music Extension, students have been studying Drama this term, developing an understanding of the elements of drama by performing extracts from the play Burnt, which explores themes of bullying.  The students have also been busy rehearsing together in their orchestral ensemble which is sounding great!  We are looking forward to hearing you perform next term at “Concert on the Green”!

Year 10 Media Arts in Practice:

Our Media Arts students have been exploring game development, as they prepare to create their own games for assessment.  Of course, no research process would be complete without a proper immersion in games and their mechanisms – our students found this research process terribly tedious as you can see below!  When did school become so fun? 

Classroom Music:

All of our elective music classes have been developing their music performance skills this term, performing to their peers in class, at lunchtime concerts and, our highlight, the fabulous Year 12 Music and Music Extension concert to an impressed audience of family and friends.  It is wonderful to see how the students develop their musical skills from Year 9 to Year 12 – the talent in these classes is immense and a source of great joy for their audiences! Well done students, on your commitment to your instruments and on your fabulous performance work this term!

Student Point of View:

My name is Francesca, one of the Senior Creative Arts Ambassadors at Cleveland District State High School for 2023! I have been involved in the Creative Arts Program at CDSHS since the start of Year 7, and it has given me so many wonderful opportunities. I currently study Year 12 Drama, Music, and Music Extension. I also take part in many out of class programs, including Senior Dance Team, Jazz Collective, Senior Choir, Senior C-Club, Acting Extension and Musical Theatre Troupe, along with partaking in the Dance and Musical Theatre programs at ROCKIT Productions as an extracurricular activity. 

Term One was busy for Drama, with many exciting things happening. We have just finished our study of Epic and Absurd Theatre, in the context of “Hoods”, a play that follows the sad reality of abuse and poverty in a family setting. Our task was to perform this text with a focus on communicating the piece’s political message. This assessment was just completed, with all the performances being a fabulous display of the talent in Year 12 Drama. Some year levels, including my year, were able to watch Shock Therapy Productions in their version of the play “Fuel” a play designed to educate teenagers on the realities of domestic violence. It was a gripping performance, with the actors kindly offering a Q&A session at the end of the performance. We will now base our next two assessments off this piece of theatre. Later in the year some drama students will perform their pieces in the FAMED night as part of the drama section.  

The Music and Music Extension classes have also just finished off their assessment this term, both performance pieces. In Music, the theme for the pieces was innovators, with us spending the term looking at all types of innovative music styles and musicians, such as Impressionism. Music Extension students were tasked with performing two contrasting pieces. All of these were showcased at a concert last Friday, helping us to develop our skills in regards to performing in front of an audience. Many attended, including family, friends, staff and even alumni. The concert was a great success with the students receiving great feedback from those in attendance. In class we have now started to look at our next tasks, another performance task in Music Extension, as well as a composition task for Music. 

This year, all the Creative Arts programs are working towards the school’s showcase, The Addams Family. Senior Dance team are currently working on two pieces for the showcase, both haunting pieces about the Ancestors of the family. Musical Theatre Troupe and Senior Choir are working on a combined piece, all about Wednesday’s boy troubles. In Acting Extension, we have just reached the half-way point of Act One in rehearsals! I am so excited for you all to see our hard work come to life on the 13^th and 14^th of October. I am also so excited to participate in both Dance Fusion and Music Showcase at the end of the year, along with FAMED night. 

So far this has been a really successful year for the Arts at Cleveland, and I am so glad that I was able to give my insight into the year ahead. Thank you! 

Date Claimers:

Concert on the Green, June 4 – An afternoon of music featuring our Instrumental and Choral Ensembles

Debating News

Debating continues to grow at Cleveland District State High School, with eight teams entered into the Queensland Debating Union competition this year. Teams participate in two types of debates: prepared debates, where they have three weeks to devise their arguments and write their speeches, and short preparation debates, where they have only one hour to prepare. While they can be nerve-wrecking, students love the excitement of the short preparation debates.

Most of our teams have already competed in one debate, and they have all received fantastic feedback from adjudicators. Our year 9, 10, 11 and 12 teams won the first round of the competition, as did our year 7 teams, who were competing for the first time ever.

Well done to all teams. We look forward to hearing about your future success as the debating season progresses

French Film Festival

On Monday 27^th March, a group of French-learning students attended a screening of A Ride Above as a part of their French Culture Experience. A Ride Above is one of the many films being shown in the Palace James Street and the Palace Barracks cinemas as part of the Alliance Française French Film Festival.

The French Film Festival is held annually in Brisbane and starts on the 15^th of March and goes until the 16^th of April. It was first held in 1989 and has run every year except for 2020. The aim of the French Film Festival is to make Australians who have not had the privilege to be immersed in French culture or Australians who wish to immerse themselves in the wonderful art of French cinema to get the opportunity to from the comfort of their own city.

The students were accompanied by Madame Noble who has organised past excursions to the Palace cinemas for showings of films that are part of the French Film Festival. The students were also given an assortment of French treats as part of their culture experience, this includes chouquettes and CaramBars, both of which are very popular delicacies in France.

This excursion to the Palace James St was a wonderful experience and was a fantastic way of showing students the different adorations of the French people, food and cinema. I would like to thank Madame Noble and Madame Augustin for their immense contributions to make this day possible and hope that it will be held again next year to allow a new group of students to participate in this wonderful cultural immersion venture.

Written by Matthew - Year 10 Languages Ambassador

STEM Faculty News Term 1

Welcome to another exciting year of STEM at CDSHS! We have plenty of engaging activities planned for our students both in the classroom and extracurricular. Read on for updates on our STEM Ambassadors, recent events, and upcoming opportunities.

Badge Ceremony

On Wednesday February 15^th, our STEM Ambassadors were presented with their badges, acknowledging their leadership. The 2023 STEM Ambassador Team consists of 14 ambassadors from Year 10 and 11. Congratulations to all and we look forward to a wonderful year ahead working with them in STEM!

• University of Queensland Science Ambassadors – Lauder Briggs, Jomar Ferrer, Jaxon Gleeson, Harsimran Kaur, Ivan Lai, Xian Millward, Montosh Rana, Kayden Robi, Mehedi Shaikh, Alicia Tan
• Griffith University STEM Ambassadors – Asha Brierley, Rori Macnamara, Lemmy Owachgiu, Darcy Wynn
• STEM Girl Power Ambassador – Rori Macnamara

International Women’s Day

We kicked off the year by celebrating International Women's Day on March 8th. Our STEM Ambassadors created a video by interviewing various students and staff on their perspectives on females in STEM. This was a great opportunity to thank our female STEM educators for their incredible contribution to our education and development.

International Day of Mathematics / Pi (π) Day

Our Ambassadors also celebrated International Day of Mathematics on March 14th, expressing gratitude to our Maths department through creating thank-you cards and posters. We are fortunate to have such an amazing team of Maths educators here at Cleveland High.

Professional Development

Our Ambassadors have received professional development opportunities to enhance their leadership skills. Recently, three of our UQ Science Ambassadors attended the YLAA (Youth Leadership Academy Australia) Senior Youth Leadership workshop, while our Griffith STEM Ambassadors along with Ambassador Teacher Mr Cooper attended the Griffith University STEM Conference. On Saturday March 25^th, Ambassadors organised an excursion to the World Science Festival Brisbane, the biggest Science celebration event globally. Through these opportunities, Ambassadors are able to collaborate with inspiring leaders and take part in various leadership activities to strength their skills, as well as crafting a STEM strategic plan for the upcoming year. Throughout the year, our Ambassadors will continue to engage with industry partners, universities, and STEM professionals.

International Study Tour STEM Workshops

The STEM team has maintained close collaboration with CDSHS’s International Student Program. We have welcomed an exchange students program from Japan recently, the Seijo Gakuen Junior High School 2023. On last day of school, Friday March 31^st , the ambassador team has planned a STEM workshop for the students, engaging them in our vibrant STEM atmosphere and showcasing some of our STEM highlights at CDSHS.

We have many exciting events planned later in the year, including competitions, workshops, and awards. Keep an eye out for Daymap Notices and be sure to check them out. Our team is looking forward to seeing everyone at these upcoming events and initiatives.

Year 7 Japanese – けんだま!

Kendama, a traditional Japanese toy, has become increasingly popular among young people around the world in recent years. Last week in Year 7 Japanese, students were introduced to the Kendama and had the opportunity to play with this challenging yet rewarding toy.

The Kendama consists of a wooden handle with a ball attached by a string. The aim of the game is to catch the ball on different parts of the handle, using a combination of balance, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. As the students began to practice, they found it difficult at first, but as they persevered, they started to get the hang of it and their excitement grew.

While playing with Kendama, the students not only enjoyed the activity, but also learned about the culture surrounding it. They learned that Kendama has been enjoyed in Japan for centuries, and that it was originally used to train Samurai warriors in their hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
They also learned about the benefits of playing with Kendama, including improving their focus, concentration, and hand-eye coordination, and finally, patience!

Overall, the Year 7 Japanese class had a fun and engaging experience playing with Kendama, while also gaining a greater appreciation for the cultural significance of this traditional Japanese toy.

Senior Schooling News

Senior Celebration Assembly

This week we held our first Senior Celebration Assembly for the year.  It was fantastic to celebrate the amazing achievements of Students for Term 1 for a range of skills, talents and efforts.  A massive ‘well done’ to our report givers – Frankie, Vanessa, Malakai, Luke, Teagan, Mehedi and Ivan - it’s not easy presenting to an audience of 1000+ peers and you were fantastic!  We look forward to making these a regular occurrence in the Senior School.

Further Congratulations to this Term’s special award winners:

• Vanessa Feng - The Griffith University Young Women in STEM Excellence Award Recipient
• Riley Swinson - Lions Youth of The Year participant
• Talia Williams - Lions Youth of The Year- public speaking winner
• Aidan Villani - Credit Award for the Education Perfect Languages Championship 2023

We also took time to recognise students with some teacher-nominated shout outs:

• Congratulations to the huge volume of students who will receive an attendance certificate for 93% or higher for their term.
• Sarah White – For assisting with Drama assessment
• Army, Air Force and Navy Cadets – for their dedication to ANZAC Day rehearsals
• Our Shavers and Student Council - for thinking of others and bravely offering to ‘Shave for a Cure’.
• Yr 11 Home Group Representatives – for assisting our Year 7s to settle in beautifully.
• The performing arts teachers and students – for organising excellent musical items for our parade.
• Juan Michelon Marcondes – for being busy behind the scenes, sharing school information and promoting events with our international students. 
• Our international students – for doing a great job in keeping up with homework and exams.
• For those coaches who have given up their own time during lunch to coach and referee junior interschool basketball teams.
• Mrs Birmingham – for organising the Senior Jerseys!
• Ms Jacquie – for all that you do for our year 12s – enjoy your leave!

Senior Jersey’s
Once again the arrival of the Senior Jersey’s has caused a flurry of excitement.  Big thanks to Mrs Birmingham for organising the sizing, labelling and ordering of 277 jerseys and to Ms Jacquie and Ms Amanda for organising their speedy collection!  This year we offloaded 250 jerseys in a speedy 17 minutes.  More impressive, was the behaviour of our year 12s who were super polite in their dealings with staff and further made sure that all of the wrappings and tags ended up in the rubbish bins provided.  Awesome work year 12s – You look fabulous in your jerseys!

Options Day Courses
Our senior students have been enjoying their Options Day Courses and we are so fortunate to have such a wide range of courses available to our students.  If your student is interested in picking up a course please come up to Senior Engagement Hub to discuss course options.

Furthermore, The July Intake for TAFE at School Courses is now open. These are suitable for our Year 11 students who wish to complete a Certificate alongside their school studies. Completed certificates will contribute to a student’s QCE Credits.

TAFE Courses available (click link)
If you are interested please come and visit Mrs Mansfield in the Senior Engagement Centre for further information on your eligibility.

Term 1 Reporting Review

All students will receive Term 1 Report Cards in the first week back after the holidays.  It is important to use this as an opportunity to reflect, and reset goals as required.  Parent Teacher Interviews will then occur in Week 3.  Whilst our 11s and 12s need to stay committed to their current pattern of study, Year 10 subject change requests will be able to be made in Weeks 3 and 4 of next term. 

Futures Forum

A number of staff and students were able to attend the recently held Redlands Futures Forum at the Alexandra Hills Conference Centre.  Minister Di Farmer was in attendance, as were industry leaders, and students and staff from schools all over the Redlands.  Students were able to tour four working job sites in the Redlands to learn more about future careers in the Redlands.  Students in attendance all represented our school with pride, and gained valuable information, skills and contacts from the event.

Kind regards
Jodie Preston and Adam Carmichael
Senior Deans of Students

Welcome to the CDSHS Library

Opening Hours in 2023

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

Our Library has hosted quite a handful of events already in 2023. In February we held a Queensland State Library Association drawing competition in response to our Love Your Library week, and more recently we encouraged readers to pick up a book to help celebrate Harmony Day. Students also created inspiring peace signs during their lunch break. In the last week of Term 1, our student council will be paying tribute to our fallen with the creation of an incredible Anzac Day display.

We have also started our ‘We are readers’ wall, showcasing the favourite books of our excellent teachers, teacher aides and a handful of celebrities. In Term 2, we are keen to expand our wall to include the favourite books of CDSHS students.

The CDSHS Book Club has, once again, kicked off with students from Year 7 to Year 10 invited to read a chosen novel and attend our Book Club meeting. One of our Year 12 IB students is helping to run our Book Club this year and we are all keen to attend the first discussion meeting.

We encourage students to come to the Library for services such as printing and borrowing. We also provide assistance with research and finding reliable and relevant sources for their assessment projects. Our Library runs specific research lessons in line with curriculum and can guide student research queries to ensure their work remains authentic and accurate.

LOST PROPERTY: If your student has lost property, please advise them to come to the Library. We have lots of spectacles, hats, drink bottles and pencil cases at the moment. As the colder weather sets in, please remind your student to ensure their name is on their jacket or jumper.

Happy reading from the CDSHS Library Team.

Chaplaincy News

Hi from our Chappies!

We caught up with Neale Collier and Bella Wilson, the Cleveland High school chaplains at one of their free pancake breakfasts recently. Their main role as a Chaplain (or Chappy as they are better known) is to support students, parents and staff with any physical, social, emotional or spiritual needs they might have. They are open to chat about all issues, big or small, and where necessary suggest other suitable people who might be able to help. They also run groups and activities that add positively to the Cleveland High experience.

Chappy Bella said, “Hi there! I'm Chappy Bella, the new Chaplain to join Cleveland District State High School this year. I'm so excited to continue to get to know all of the awesome students and staff here and be a part of all of the amazing things happening in this school community. I have a heart and a passion to see young people succeed in every area of their lives. Feel free to stop by the Drop-In Centre to say "Hi" on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Can't wait to meet you!”

Chappy Neale said: “Hi! It has been my joy to serve as one of the school chaplains at Cleveland High for the past 21 years. Currently I am at the school on every day except Thursday. I love meeting new students, usually when they visit our purpose-built Drop-in Centre during break. It is a safe place where students can hangout, play games, get a slice of toast or an ice-block or just hang out and chat. The centre is a hive of activities, many organised by our Student Chaplaincy Committee. A big part of our Chaplaincy work is encouraging global citizenship by supporting our Sister School in Vanuatu, Pango Centre School, as well as installing libraries in impoverished remote schools with The Library Project Vanuatu.”

We look forward to supporting our whole school community in 2023!

Redlands Epic Day Out, Saturday 22 April

Our chaplains are joining with local youth group leaders to put together an amazing program for the return of Redland’s Epic Day Out. Our annual spring camp is amazing, but the cost can be preventive, so at Epic Day Out we pack as much fun as we can into a day for $100.

All High Schoolers are invited to join us on the first Saturday of Term 2 for tubing on Moreton Bay, along with beach games, etc. Then we head over for a big session of laser tag followed by dinner and our famous Epic Night Live, filled with exciting games, amazing activities, crazy challenges and live music.

Between events there will be time to chill with friends, and to hang out in smaller groups, eat meals and have meaningful chats about making it when life gets tough. You will get a chance to talk about life, God, faith, values and all the things that make life awesome.

The fun will start early in the morning and only finish late into the night.

Date: 22 April

Cost: $100 (includes light brekkie, dinner, transport and all activities).

Register online at:  https://brushfire.com/sua/daycamp/550162/

Event Leaders: Sarah Woodward 0422 141 508 & Neale Collier 0405 412 432

Year 7 Chinese Calligraphy

The Year 7 Chinese students practiced their calligraphy this week. They learnt difficult but interesting Chinese characters, emphasising the importance of brush strokes and the smaller radicals within each ‘big’ characters. The students then practiced painting a Panda, and some practiced painting some flowers!

The calligraphy lesson provided the students with an understanding of Chinese culture and art. It allowed them to appreciate the beauty of the Chinese language and also appreciate the traditions and customs of China.

The students were enthusiastic, with many of them commenting on how much they enjoyed learning about Chinese culture and trying something new. Overall, the lesson was challenging yet fun, providing the students with valuable insights into Chinese culture and art.

It’s not too late to claim ABSTUDY support for the 2023 school year

Message from Services Australia

We’d like to ensure families know about how ABSTUDY can help support high school students. This includes families whose children are living at home and may not know they’re eligible. When students live at home, eligible families can get support with school fees and school materials like uniforms, textbooks and stationery.  

You can follow us on facebook.com/ServicesAustralia to see future posts about ABSTUDY.

Kind regards,
ABSTUDY
Services Australia
Phone: 131 158

State Youth Leadership Conference

On Tuesday 21^st of March, a group of aspiring young leaders had the privilege of attending the 2023 State Youth Leadership Conference. The conference took place at the Brisbane Convention Centre, providing students with the opportunity to hear from inspirational real-world leaders, ask questions, listen, and learn about their journey with leadership.   

The program aims to equip students and future leaders, with the skills and confidence to be change-makers in their schools and communities. Students had the opportunity to hear from speakers Bonnie and Amanda, Will Massara, Nick Dempsey, and Kurt Jones.  

The day was packed with many speakers, activities, and informative sessions. Topics covered include: 

• Leadership styles 
• Communication spectrum 
• Creating change 
• Collaboration 
• Perspective 

• Comfort zone versus learning zone 
• Leaders go first 
• Gratitude practice 
• Relationship building 
• Leaders are learners 
• Feeding courage not fear 

Students were surrounded by like-minded peers from across the state, having the opportunity to collaborate and share ideas and goals with each other. We were encouraged to step out of our comfort zones and meet new people, many of us building lasting connections with the people we met.  

The event was truly inspirational, allowing not only myself but my fellow peers to grow and expand our leadership skills; providing us with direction and tools to ensure we continue improving as both a leader and individuals.  

Jenna 
Student Council Executive Officer

Kickstarter Program

My name is Laura, and I am from the Centre for Women & Co in the Redlands. I wanted to reach out and let you know about our free Kickstarter program that we run here in the Redlands.

The Kickstarter program is for women 18+ focused on getting into/getting back into work or study. Kickstarter is a free 8-week program that covers topics such as values, CV/cover letter writing, interviewing, boundaries, goal setting, working through challenges and getting prepared for work or study. We are currently running the program at two locations our Cleveland office and Russell Island.

Our only requirements are that participants are willing and able to attend the program, they have secure and stable accommodation, are able to travel to the program location to engage, and are able to arrange any childcare needed during the program hours as unfortunately we are unable to provide childcare, or have children unsupervised onsite during the program. Women must also reside within the funding areas (Redlands, South Moreton Bay Islands and Logan). I have also attached our flyer for your information.

I am happy for you to give me a call to discuss how the program works or how we can work together, my number is 3050 3060 (select option 3).

Kind regards,
Laura, Kickstarter Project Worker
#strongertogether

Harassment and Bullying- What's the Difference?

Bullying is a serious issue for young people and Cleveland District SHS has a firm policy to address this. Changes in society also mean that students are educated about recognising, acting on and reporting bullying from a young age.

The national definition of Bullying is ongoing and deliberate misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that intends to cause physical, social and/or psychological harm (Bullying No Way, 2023). Conversely, Harassment is being treated less favourably on the basis of personal characteristics such as race, sex, age, sexual identity or sexual orientation and is often a one-off occurrence or part of a friendship breakdown (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2023).

It is important for all students to abide by the school’s iCARE values which promote inclusion of all students and show care and kindness for others. Sometimes our young people can make poor decisions and it is up to their village of parents, school staff, friends and family friends to help them to identify these poor decisions and make things right with others.

Harassment and Bullying can happen outside of school and particularly on social media. The following suggestions are to help parents navigate their child’s use of social media.

1. Children are not capable of making adult decisions and may choose to act or respond in a situation that we do not accept in society as being part of our social norms. Parents are advised to monitor chat groups and social media channels and use this as an opportunity to guide children on social norms.
2. Encourage your child to be cautious if others add them to group chats or send friend requests. Children should always know who they are talking to.
3. Have regular conversations about your family’s values regarding online interactions and what is acceptable and not acceptable. Sometimes this can raise awkward issues but your child is learning how to use social media in an acceptable way.

If your child is experiencing harassment or bullying online, do the following:

1. Block the offender immediately from your child’s phone including blocking on social media and actual phone calls and text
2. Consider reporting to the e-safety commissioner who provides advice and support for children under 18 as well as their parents
3. Consider reporting to the Queensland Police Service if the bullying or harassment is significant

Cleveland DSHS takes allegations of  bullying seriously to ensure that all students have access to a safe and supportive learning environment where they can be successful. Any allegation of bullying made to the school is dealt with by the Year Level Deputy Principal. Our Deputy Principals follow the school’s Response to Allegation of Bullying process (found on our school’s website) which includes investigating the allegation and reporting to the Executive Principal within two business days of the allegation.

The village approach to raising happy and healthy young people takes time and there will be times when our young people need guidance from adults. Having open communication with our young people is critical to allow them a safe space to discuss situations that they may not understand or know how to react to. For further parenting advice with teenager friendships, please access School TV on the Cleveland DSHS website.

Raising Resilient Children

FREE DIGITAL SAFETY SEMINAR

Raising Resilient Children – find out more about emotional resilience and cyber safety

When: Thursday 20^th April, 6:30 – 8:00pm

Where: Lecture Theatre, Redlands College

Register:  Raising Resilient Children | Triple P (triplep-parenting.net.au)

We all do our best to supervise our children’s online activities, but you can’t look over the shoulder for their whole life. This Triple P – Positive Parenting Program seminar offers tips on how to develop your child’s ability to cope with problems, now and in the future, in real-life and online. As well as hear from a cyber safety expert on how the best way to keep our children safe online. The seminar is only 90 minutes, fun and friendly, and it’s FREE! It’ll help kids AND parents take the drama out of family life (and screen time) and find ways to deal with issues calmly and more confidently. 

Super Hero Concert Redlands Museum