CapSDE Week 10, Term Two 2024 eNewsletter

Acting Principal

Dear Students, Parents, and Staff,

As Term Two draws to a close I find it hard to believe that the year is almost half over. It has been another eventful term for CapSDE, and I think it is important to take time to reflect and celebrate all the wonderful things that have happened at our school over the past ten weeks.

It is the Show season and our students have achieved very well at their various events around the region. It has been great to see the various Show displays that our staff, students and parents have kindly co-ordinated. The scarecrows were very cool! 

Our school leaders led another touching online ANZAC Day ceremony that was attended by many staff and students. Thank you also to those staff, students and families who made the effort to commemorate this special day by attending Dawn Services and joining in their local area march. 

The addition of a CapSDE choir in the Rockhampton Eisteddfod was a personal term highlight of mine. Our students may be isolated, but we try our best to ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities like these. The students were very committed, joining in both face to face and online rehearsals. Thank you to Mr Scheuber and Mrs Ward to all the time they put into making this opportunity possible. 

Mini-schools were another hit for staff and students, and the good thing now about Term Two Mini-school is that NAPLAN is already done and dusted! There was very good attendance at both Rockhampton and Emerald campuses. Our secondary students were lucky to have opportunities to attend CQ Uni as well as our very own Youth Expo. 

The Student Free Day on May 31 provided an excellent opportunity for staff professional development with Professor Doug Fisher. Being able to secure a whole day session with an International Distance Education expert such as Doug was a real coup for our school. And he didn’t disappoint! We will be working with staff next semester to look at what learnings we can apply to our school context.

We had very large numbers of students attending our Athletics Carnival in Rockhampton in Week 8. It was wonderful to see our secondary students and primary students all showing great school and house spirit on the day.

This week we have Primary Clusters in Alpha and Great Keppel Island and a Secondary Cluster in Mackay. These field services are an important aspect of our school as they provide further opportunities for our staff and students to build connections. We also have our Japanese teaching staff hosting Japan Festivals for approximately 800 students in Rockhampton and Yeppoon this week. I hope everyone attending these events has a fantastic time.

Also this week we have a group of staff attending the AADES (Australasian Association of Distance Education Schools) Conference in Perth. Kelly McMeeken and Emma Kirk are presenting a session on Artificial Intelligence and the positive applications it can have in education. 

It really has been a big term! Next term is shaping up to be just as exciting. Some of the events to look forward to include:

• Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival

• ICPA sports camp

• Years 5,6 and 7-9 camps

• Cricket Blaster Cups
• Mini-school for Preps – Year 4

• Oshu City (Japan) school homestay program

• Year 10 SET Plan interviews

• Work experience and VET Placements

• Japan Festival in Bundaberg

   

Report cards for Semester One will be emailed out to families on Friday, so please keep an eye out for these.

I wish you all a relaxing and safe Winter holiday. I hope you all get to enjoy some down-time and get a chance to recharge the batteries.
Warm regards, 
Georgina Harch
(Acting Principal)

Clusters

Clusters are not mandatory to attend, however please be aware of the following:

Primary Lessons: there will be no lessons running for Primary students on the two days of Cluster.

Secondary Lessons: will still be running for Wednesday and Thursday.
Secondary students travelling out of necessity with family to a primary cluster, will still be expected to attend their online lessons during school hours. 

P & C General Meeting - Cancelled for 19th due to Clusters

As clusters are on the 19th & 20th June, the general meeting scheduled for the 19th June will be postponed until next term (likely Term 3, Week 2)

What's happening in Primary?

Western Sevens Competition

On Friday 26 July 2024, we will be providing students with an opportunity to participate in the QRU Western Sevens under 10 and under 12 Primary Schools Competition. The Western 7s is the largest regional school Rugby Sevens tournament outside of the Southeast corner providing opportunities for junior players to enjoy this exciting, fun and fast-flowing game - and even pursue their Olympic and Commonwealth Games aspirations.

 Excursion details: 

• Qld Rugby Union Western Sevens Competition
• When: 26 July 2024
• Where: McIndoe Park, Opal Street, Emerald Q 4720 & Morton Park, Dundas Street, Emerald   Q   4720 – Venue and times to be advised once program is available.
• Students will be playing in an U10s and U12s mixed Rugby Union primary schools competition
• Inherent risk level of the excursion is medium and students will be provided with instruction on correct techniques (e.g. safe play, first aid support). Qld Rugby Union Organisers have level 4 Smart Rugby accreditation.
• Private transport to and from the venue by parents is required.
• Students must wear enclosed sports shoes, hats and school jersey supplied as well as bring water bottle, sunscreen and lunch.
• Student Code of Conduct (for P-12 students only)
• Please bring sunscreen and water bottles 

Prep - Year 2 NRL League Tag Gala Day

The 2024 NRL are hoping to host a League Tag Gala Day for students in Prep - Year 2 in Week9Term3.

P-2 League Tag Gala Days give our young students the opportunity to learn new skills, have a taste of Rugby League and have fun with their peers from across different schools. The day is League Tag format and students from all abilities are encouraged to participate.

Students are split into teams on the day with different schools.

CSDE is asking for expressions of interest from those that are interested. 

Cricket Blaster Cups - Save the Date and Forms

Year 6

English Summary:

This term, our class delved into the fascinating world of advertising. We learned about the key elements that make an advert catch a reader's attention, including eye-catching visuals, engaging headlines, and compelling calls to action.

Students then applied these principles to create their own adverts. They covered a range of exciting locations, from the bustling streets of Japan to the serene landscapes of Five Rocks in New Zealand and the snowy slopes of Perisher.

Through this project, students not only honed their creative skills but also gained valuable insights into the art of persuasion and effective communication.

HASS summary:

Our amazing Year 6 students have been diving into a fascinating unit in HASS class called "Australia in a Diverse World." They've been busy exploring how people, places, and cultures differ all around the globe. From learning about various cultural traditions to understanding the unique ways people live in different parts of the world, our students are becoming true global citizens! 🌏✨ It's been an exciting journey of discovery, and we can't wait to see what new insights they'll share with us. Stay tuned for more updates from our curious and enthusiastic Year 6s!

Science Summary:

This Term 2 we have covered Energy and Electricity - The different forms energy can take; how it transfers and transforms through systems; how we can generate and harness electrical energy with energy sources and circuits, and how we can plan for a future that removes the threat created using fossil fuels. The kids really enjoyed our circuit building kits – both hands on and online simulations. And using our Stile classroom to investigate Electricity has been fun and educational. Next Term we will begin investigating ‘Our Changing Planet’. Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Cyclones are a threat to human life and lifestyle – can we make better predictions and preparations with better science?

Year 6 Mathematics

This Term, our focus has been understanding and following the rules of order of operations when dealing with multiple operations within an equation, this is a new concept which can be difficult to learning – providing you following BODMAS you cannot go wrong.  By the time everyone receives this newsletter we will have completed our assessment to show what we know about angles as we go further into developing and understanding how to “measure” angles without using a protractor by using our knowledge about angles on a straight line, vertically opposite angles and angles around a point.  Ongoing work also includes place value, fractions, multiples, factors, decimals and other number study focuses.

 Emerald Campus Year 6 mini-school

Well, it was a busy time for Emerald students, there was the much-anticipated visit from their Rockhampton Japanese teachers, sports trainers from Athletics and Cricket to do drills and activities, also Pavle young engineers with coding. While the school leaders also attended the Mayoral Summit in Blackwater (a last-minute change of venue due to amenities in Springsure requiring urgent repair) the other students had the pleasure of spending time with Mrs Wex and Mrs Pedler.  At the summit we were inspired by Kerry-Lee Gockel, a lady born with no arms, her main take-away from her keynote was that it is okay to ask for help whether you have a disability or not, and above all have-a-go.

Thanks Mrs Matthews, for letting us know about the scarecrow trail in Emerald, so the Year 6s (with some assistance from parents/home tutors) created “Stan” the scarecrow to represent their agricultural background, “Stan” now stands beside the old CSDE sign. 

The highlight I feel for everyone, teachers, students and home tutors, was the official opening of our new library!  Thanks to all involved for the amazing job of creating such a wondering learning space as well as our amazing new classrooms 😊.

Year 6 Japanese.

Following on from last term, we have continued writing bilingual stories in Japanese and English. This term we have moved on to individual stories, and it has been a real delight to see the creativity, thoughtfulness and effort that each student has put into their story. Although quite simple language is used, everyone has created something unique, and I am very much looking forward to sharing them with the wider school community in the future.

We’ve had stories about koalas, llamas, donkeys, crocodiles, dogs, horses, cats (who are extremely strong) cows, sloths and even dinosaurs. I hope that you will look forward to reading the wonderful stories Year 6 has created.

Kids Helpline Sessions

Students in Years 4-5 will be taking part in Kids Helpline Sessions during this term. These will be supervised by CSDE staff. Please see information in the link below regarding these sessions. If you do not wish for your student to participate in these sessions, please complete the opt out form below. If you are happy with your student attending the session, there is nothing more you need to do. 

(Grade 4-5) 17/06/2024 at 2:05 - 3:00PM  Module: Managing Emotions
                      Session to be held in the 'Primary Cohort 2024' course on QLearn

Whitsunday Voices - parent opportunity

Whitsunday Voices – Litchat Educators Event, the event is open to staff and parents.

Secondary Scoop

Visual Arts

In Visual Arts, students have been exploring the techniques of water paints. Each student thought of a water story from their past to use as inspiration. Some of the final artworks were fantastic.

Artist: Sophie
Title: Where there was once a Crop

Artist: Mia Angus Year 8

Year 7 Music

This term, our Year 7 music students have enthusiastically explored music production using Soundtrap. They've created their own compositions, learning about melody, harmony, rhythm, and dynamics through this hands-on digital platform.

As the term concludes, we're proud of their progress and wanted to showcase their creative work to the school community.

Asha

Ford by Willow

Kody

Tranquillity by Chevy

Finally! by Samuel

1st Realm by Shiloh

Guidance 'Go-2'

Keep your friends and family safe over the winter holidays. If you know someone who is struggling, help is available:

• Lifeline — call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online
• Suicide Call Back Service — call 1300 659 467
• Kids Helpline call 1800 55 1800 or chat online
• Beyond Blue call 1300 224 636 or chat online

What's on in your community

STEM Holiday Programs

The Manfacturing Hub has kindly sponsored some STEM programs these school holidays (so normally priced programs at $180, are now only $22 for two days of activities). 

The sponsored programs include the Robo Bricks (Years 3-5) and Inventor's Kit (Years 6-9). The junior programs (Prep to Year 2) are priced normally.

This time they are going to be held at:

• Rockhampton
• Mackay
• Airlie Beach
• Gladstone
• Tanum Sands (a trial 1-Day program)
• Bundaberg
• Maryborough

Some venues or age groups may have already sold out, but families are welcome to register their interest. The link below has information for all venues and locations. 

The link is: https://cq.young-engineers.com.au/registration/

Defence Work Experience Programs - 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Band

Defence Work Experience Programs (DWEP) have a new placement coming up with the 1^st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Band 26 – 30 August 2024, if you could please share with your Year 11 and 12 musical students.

Please note that places for this program are very limited and this program is very competitive, students are strongly encouraged to submit complete and considered applications as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

The Defence Work Experience Program (DWEP) is a national Youth Program that provides young Australians with an interest in a Defence career, the opportunity to gain exposure to a range of job roles available within Defence and the Australian Public Service.

Defence work experience activities are designed to be hands on and interactive so that young people can make informed career decisions.

We are pleased to advise the following programs are currently taking applications online:

Places are limited and students are strongly encouraged to submit complete and considered applications.

We work alongside ADF Units to bring students a valuable experience with serving personnel and therefore unforeseen changes to operational commitments may result in a placement being changed, postponed and/or cancelled at short notice.

Please monitor the DWEP website for updates on programs, as more will be advertised in the coming weeks.

RBM Images of CQ 2024 Competition

Students/staff have the opportunity to win a Camera for the school!

There is a different theme each week and students/staff can enter as many photos as they like, with winners being announced each week for four weeks.

Photos get emailed to agric19@eq.edu.au who will submit them on the students behalf.

The competition commences on 22 July 2024, Week Three, Term 3. Families are welcome to start sending in entries now. 

Sports Person of the year award 2024

CSDE annually acknowledges the sporting achievements of a Primary and Secondary Student, who has excelled throughout the year at the end of year awards.

The presentation of the Sports Person of the Year Award goes to the student who has accumulated the most amount of points throughout the year in their various sporting achievements. 

Parents are asked to advise the school throughout the year of the sporting achievements by completing this online form. Scores are based on events, the level of the event (district, regional, state, national etc) and the students placing within those events. You will need to complete the form for each individual acheivement. Do not place all acheivements on the one form.

At the end of the year, points are collated, and the winner announced.

Information to note: 
* School sports are what counts for CSDE Sportsperson of the year.  Students are recognised for their achievement in other non-school fields; however, these achievements are not part of the accumulation of points towards the CSDE Sportsperson of the year. 

* You should list the highest level that your student has represented in that sport, noting that the points are only entered if the student represented, and not if they were selected and did not attend. 

*  Unfortunately, camp-drafting, is not a recognised school sport and so would not apply for Sportsperson of the year.

We welcome your feedback