School Newsletter Issue 9 - Friday August 14th, 2020

From the Principal's Desk

We have celebrated a number of events recently. We did exceptionally well in the ‘Education Perfect Regional Language Championship (QLD) 2020’. Cleveland District State High School came 5th overall in Queensland, out of 276 schools and 2nd overall in the 1001-2000 students category. This is a remarkable outcome and I congratulate the students and staff who were involved.

Last week, the Deans and Assistant Deans acknowledged the outstanding performance of 13 Junior Secondary students who achieved A’s for all subjects on their Semester 1 report card with a special lunch. It was a delight to speak with students and recognise their achievement. I thank our engagement staff for creating this celebration.

We also acknowledged the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day (August 4th 2020) with a collaboration through an online ‘padlet’ tool. This allowed students to contribute their ideas through reflective writing which demonstrated a deep understanding of many issues.

Reading is critical to success at high school and in life. Recently, we celebrated the reading improvement of our students in the Lexile Reading Program. A number of students received rewards, which included a book of their choice.

This newsletter highlights many additional achievements in our school. I encourage you to take the time to read in order to celebrate the successes of our students and the professional commitment of staff.

Leonard

Leonard McKeown

DipT BEd GradDipMgt MEd(Res) MBA MACEL MAICD

Acting Executive Principal

Cleveland District State High School

IB Enrolment for 2021

Applications are now being accepted for students interested in joining the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for 2021.  Year 10 is our foundation year where students are introduced to the skills and concepts taught in the IBDP and test out the subjects.  We are very pleased to announce that we will be introducing the subject Psychology to Year 10 IBDP in 2021 and it is already proving to be a popular selection for early applicants.

For more details about the IBDP or to arrange for an application pack, please visit the links on our school website or Facebook page or contact the school office on 3824 9222.  The IBDP is an excellence program and Cleveland High is the only school in the Redlands authorised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation to teach it.  Applications are accepted from families who live out of our catchment area.  Limited places are also available in Year 11 2021 for suitable applicants.  Applications are due by August 20, 2020.        

Academic Testing Year 6 into Year 7

Is your child entering Year 7 at Cleveland High in 2021?  Families who wish to apply for the Academic Excellence classes in Year 7 are required to take part in the Academic Testing we are running on Saturday 29 August being administered by Edutest. 

The test will assess students against a range of skills in numeracy, literacy, reading comprehension and writing.  Families who wish to apply for a place for their student in the Year 7 Academic Excellence program in 2021 are required to register their student for the entrance exam via the link below and pay the $75 fee (plus GST).  

Please note, if during this unprecedented time your family is suffering from genuine financial hardship and cannot afford the fee please contact the school office discuss assistance.

Registrations must be received by Friday 21 August.

Junior Engagement Centre News – Celebrating Success

2020 has presented a demanding environment in which to teach, mentor and educate our students, which makes celebrating their success all the more exciting.

We have recently celebrated the efforts and achievements of our top academic students in the Junior school (Years 7 to 9).  Their Semester 1 report card results put them in the top 1% and we applaud this outstanding achievement, particularly in the face of online learning and other challenges faced by students in Semester 1.  Our Executive Principal, Mr McKeown together with our Deans and Assistant Deans, hosted a special lunch to celebrate this remarkable achievement. (See photo below.)

We have also celebrated the success of many of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys with a number of lunch time events to reward their excellent efforts during Semester 1.  Their school attendance and commitment to accessing support from our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team were recognised and commended. We look forward to hosting similar events for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls in the coming weeks.  Keep up the fantastic work! (See photos below.)

Finally, we wish to acknowledge those outstanding students whose Semester 1 report cards showed exceptional Effort and Behaviour results!  We will celebrate with a Pizza Party for all of these students in the coming weeks, we are so proud of these students who give their very best each and every day in the the classroom.

2020 Presentation Ceremony

Our 2020 Presentation Ceremony will be celebrated in a slightly different format this year, but remains the most important and prestigious event on our school calendar. 

To keep our community safe and adhere to Government guidelines, our ceremony will be held during the day on Thursday, 19^th November 2020.  Unfortunately this means we are unable to invite special guests, presenters or parents to attend.

Award Nominations

In preparation for our 2020 Presentation Ceremony students are encouraged to focus on their positive contributions to school and community life.  All students are invited to nominate for a range of special awards designed to recognise excellence and commitment in various fields.

Download the necessary nomination forms from our website (see link below), complete and return to the school administration office.  We require a hard copy of all nomination forms.

The due date for forms is Friday, 9^th October 2020  (week 1, term 4).

Presentation Award Sponsors

Businesses and members of our local community have generously supported many of our special awards and we are seeking a range of award sponsors again in 2020. When we are able to confer a monetary award, it supports students in their academic and/or cultural endeavours in a very practical way.

If you own or are associated with a local business that may be able to assist by providing a monetary award ($100 cash gift card) in 2020 we would like to hear from you.  Please call or email the  school (contact name: Rhonda Gibson) at principal@clevelanddistrictshs.eq.edu.au

Our valued sponsors will be acknowledged during the Presentation Ceremony during official speeches and in the event program.  Academic and Cultural award winners receive a medallion or trophy together with a certificate and all sponsors will be acknowledged in these documents as well.

Student Council News

We have finally been able to have our Shave for a Cure for the Leukaemia Foundation. We had four students who shaved their heads at school, with a total of seven dedicated students participating this year. They raised over $2600 for this great cause.

We held our first Student Council meeting since Term 1 and it was great to see everyone back. The leaders will be laying a wreath at the Cenotaph on Saturday to honour veterans for the 75^th anniversary of the end of World War II. With the assistance of Mrs Gulliver and our school community we have also created a display in the library to honour family members of our community.

This year, we are supporting Share the Dignity again. We are collecting sanitary items during the month of August. Collection boxes are in the library and the office and all donations will be gratefully received.

Upcoming Events

19 August – Junior Student Council

20 August – Senior Student Council

9 September – Junior Student Council

10 September – Senior Student Council

The Premier's ANZAC Prize

The Premier’s Anzac Prize is proudly presented in partnership with RSL Queensland.

The annual Premier's Anzac Prize provides a life-changing opportunity for 8 high school students to experience the Anzac tradition first-hand and to see how the Anzac legacy relates to modern Australian life.

Opportunity overview

Prize recipients of the Premier's Anzac Prize have the opportunity to participate and experience the Anzac tradition with a tour of Anzac battlefields across Europe, following our Anzac soldiers during World War I.

An application package, including helpful information is available for both student and teacher applicants.

Prize details

• 14-16 day tour of Europe visiting key sites important to our Australian war history.
• The prize is awarded to 8 Queensland students.
• Successful students will be involved in learning about life at the Front and the history of our Anzacs overseas during WWI.
• Students are required to attend a briefing session, a 2-day workshop and complete a research task in the 4-5 months prior to travel. Research is recorded in Historypin  .
• Final itinerary and details will be provided during the briefing session.
• Two teacher chaperones will accompany the group for the whole tour and will be required to assist with the tour planning and pre-departure sessions.
• Students must have prior parent/guardian consent.
• Accommodation is hotel style or twin share.

Click on the link below for further information on this wonderful opportunity. 

If you are interested, please see Ms Edwards in J Block.

Year 12 Hospitality – My Kitchen Rules

Last week, Year 12 Hospitality students undertook their restaurant service assessment, fondly known as Cleveland’s MKR. In groups of 2 or 3, students planned and prepared a 3 course menu, with each student responsible for one course. Usually, students serve their dishes to guests in our dining room. Students were disappointed that Covid-19 restrictions meant the service part of the task couldn’t happen this year, but that didn’t stop them from creating a truly tempting array of dishes. This year’s entrees included bruschetta with balsamic glaze, pan-fried salmon salad, creamy pumpkin soup and cheesy puff pastry dipping sticks. Mains included a variety of pastas, steak and seafood. Desserts ranged from sticky date pudding with caramel sauce to lemon coconut cake with fresh berries, caramel cheesecake to chocolate lava cake or soufflé pancakes.

All students are to be congratulated on their efforts in creating menus that were executed to a very high standard of presentation.

Share the Dignity

Over 105,237 people experience homelessness every night and over 44% percent of these are women, which means these women don’t have access to necessary sanitary items. At Cleveland High, we are working with ‘Share the Dignity’, striving to collect and donate as many sanitary items as we can in order to help change the lives of homeless women living in shelters.  

Currently, there are collection boxes in the library and school office and we welcome your donations of sanitary items. We aim to do our part in helping to remove stigmas around homelessness and menstruation.  

This is our second year supporting this cause. Last year we collected 320 sanitary items, which was a fantastic effort. We hope to do even better in 2020.

Student Council would like to thank everyone who has participated so far.  

Chaplaincy News

Redlands Epic Day Out, Monday 21 September

We are very excited to let everyone know about a new initiative in the Redlands. Our annual spring camp has been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. However, we have put together an epic one day program of activities in the Redlands, so that high school students can get out and have some fun for a day.

Join us on the first Monday of the Spring school holidays for the Redlands Epic Day Out. Enjoy a mega day crammed with some of the best activities you can do in the Redlands. One of the massive highlights of the day will definitely be Laser Skirmish in the Mt Cotton forest!

From morning to night, the day will be filled with exciting games, amazing activities, crazy challenges and live music. Wow!

Between events we will 'chill' in smaller groups, eat meals while hanging out with friends and have meaningful chats about what anchors you in life when times get 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.

Cost: $100 (Some sponsorships are available.)

Register online at: https://sucamps.org.au/camps/redlands-epic-day-out-2020/

Event Admin: Sarah Woodward 0422 141 508

Event Directors: Neale Collier 0405 412 432, Cam Clark 0400 820 992, Tim Rackemann 0466 556 485

Parents and students are welcome to ask Chappy Neale or Chappy Sarah for more information.

Earn, Learn and Win

Victoria Point Shopping Centre are running their annual Earn, Learn and Win competition and at Cleveland High, students stand to benefit! We are using this promotion to enhance the chaplaincy food support program where students who do not have lunch can get a free slice of toast, etc. If you shop at the Victoria Point Shopping Centre between 3 – 30 August and make an eligible purchase, please take your till slip to the Earn, Learn and Win desk next door to Best & Less for your chance to win either, a dollar amount towards our school or an instant prize. There is $10,000 in cash up for grabs for the school, and over $30,000 in instant prizes to be won. Please support us as we seek to support our students.

2020 Early School Leavers Survey

The Queensland Government is seeking the support of the school community for the annual survey of Year 10, 11 and 12 students who left school in 2019, before completing Year 12. This short, confidential survey collects information about what young people are doing the year after leaving school. The results of the survey help provide valuable information to improve services available to school leavers in the future.

Between August and September, these school leavers can expect to receive instructions to complete a web-based survey or a telephone call from the Queensland Government Statistician’s Office. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please assist the interviewer with their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate.

Thank you for your support of Next Step post-school destination surveys in 2020.

For more information, visit www.qld.gov.au/nextstep/ or telephone toll free on 1800 068 587.

Schools Premier League

The Cleveland Football Program hosted the Schools Premier League quarter finals in week 3, against Helensvale State High School and Cavendish Road State High School.

The day highlighted the abundance of talent within the SPL, and CDSHS showed off quality football against tough competition. A huge congratulations to our goal scorers on the day with Kyla Hanson scoring four goals and Simran Kaur, Mikayla Giles, Byron Hales and Vincent Bowman scoring one each. 

Despite some excellent displays of football, classy goals, and determination, our teams did not progress through to the semi-finals on August 13^th. If you are interested in watching the semi-final action, all games will be live-streamed thanks to a recent partnership between Schools Premier League and the Courier Mail.

Before School Playground Duties

After careful review of the two before school playground duties – corner of Smith & Russell Streets and under M Block - the School’s Local Consultative Committee has concluded that these duty times could be used more effectively by increasing supervision of the playground during first and second breaks.

This change will take effect at the beginning of Term 4.

International Student Program

The CDSHS International Student Program would like to congratulate Alvaro and Mrs Madden, our awesome EAL/D (English as an Additional Language/Dialect) teacher for his recent achievements of C2 – Certificate in Advanced English, Cambridge Assessment, English. C2 is the highest grade achievable for this very challenging, world renoun qualification. International students wishing to study for their Cambridge English Exams work extensively with Mrs Madden practicing for the test prior to exam day. This result is a true testament to the hard work required from both student and teacher. Such a great achievement really deserves celebraton. Well done!

When you are far from home, there is nothing nicer that receiving a lovely gift on your birthday from CDSHS and the International Student Program staff.  This week, we are playing belated birthday catch-up to make up for all of the celebrations we missed earlier in the year due to Covid-19 and remote learning. Today, it is happy birthday to Kim! Our international students are always truly excited to receive these beautiful Aussie themed cupcakes, made by Andrea from the tuckshop.

P & C News

Thank you to all those parents, citizens and school staff who came to our July General Meeting. The Executive were pleased to have the opportunity to reconnect with everyone and discuss P&C projects and how the P&C can continue to adapt and support the school moving forward in this changed world. 

Our next general meeting is Tuesday August 25^th at 7pm in the Innovation Centre F9 - F10 located behind the language block. Entry is via Russell Street. We hope to see you there.

Tuckshop

Don’t forget to check out the school Facebook page every Monday to see what specials are available for that week.

Special dietary requirements can be catered for by the Tuckshop so please feel free to contact the Tuckshop on 38249214 to discuss meal options available to your student if necessary.

If your student is bringing food to school that requires cutlery, please remember BYO cutlery. The Tuckshop will need to charge a small fee to provide if requested due to the changeover to eco-friendly cutlery which comes at an increased cost.

Uniform Shop

Uniform Shop normal business hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8am – 10.30am.

A heads-up for next year regarding some changes to uniform costs. The impact of the pandemic is being felt in every level of business and unfortunately this includes the uniform supply chain. From next year, there will be a slight increase in some uniform items because of the increases in production costs etc. We will do our absolute best to keep any price increases to a minimum.

Some uniform stock is running low and with supplies not due for delivery again until towards the end of the year, if you see a size online that is not available, this will be the same instore. A small range of pre-loved items are still available instore as a back-up if needed.

If you have a child starting in 2021, please remember you can order items before the end of year using our layby system.  The terms are as follows: 15% deposit for a period of up to 90 days, with a $5 non-refundable service fee.

Parenting in a Pandemic