Week 2, 28th April 2025 CapSDE Newsletter

Principal on leave

Languages

Today, members of the Capricornia School of Distance Education leadership team had the honour of meeting with the Oshu City Board of Education in a special online ceremony.

Together, we celebrated the renewal of our student exchange agreement, strengthening the wonderful partnership between our two communities.

We look forward to continuing to build global connections and unforgettable learning experiences for our students! 

Compass

Introducing Compass: Our New Attendance and Communication System

We are pleased to introduce Compass, our new attendance marking system designed to provide more detailed and accurate information about your child’s daily attendance. This improved visibility will strengthen our ability to support your child’s engagement in lessons and their overall learning journey.

Compass will also streamline communication between the school and families. From now on, parents and carers will receive an afternoon notification at 3:00pm if their child is absent or late for any lesson throughout the day.

As with any new system, there may be a short settling-in period. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we fine-tune the process. Additionally, we look forward to expanding the functionality of Compass over time to offer even greater support and service to our school community.

Operational Update - Deputy Principal

Secondary Interim Reports

These will be emailed out next Monday, April 28.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

These are scheduled for Monday, May 12.

Homestay families wanted

We are urgently seeking volunteers to host a student from our Sister School in Oshu, Japan. Please see further below for details and the link to the EOI.

It is only for 6 nights and you don’t need to know Japanese. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students and families, but if we don’t have enough host families then we risk the exchange program folding. If you have been considering hosting, but have some questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (gharc3@eq.edu.au 49314855).

Junior Secondary Curriculum

As with any other State School in Qld, CapSDE is guided by the Australian Curriculum and the K-12 CARF (curriculum, assessment and reporting framework).

https://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/stages-of-schooling/k-12

These document direct what subjects our students in Secondary have to study. Please contact the relevant Secondary HOD if you have any questions regarding particular subjects.

Regards, Georgina Harch
Deputy Principal (School Operations and Languages)

Winter is coming! School jumpers available to purchase on Qkr!

As the weather cools down, make sure you stay warm and comfortable with our official school winter jackets!
Designed to meet uniform standards and perfect for chilly mornings, our jackets are available in a range of sizes for all students.

Order now through QKR app while supplies last and be ready for the colder months ahead!

Cost:   Size 4 - 16 $36.00
            Size S - 3XL $42.00

Book Your Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews for Prep to Year 12, will be held on Monday 12 May, Week 4 in Term Two.

Time: 3:10 - 5:10pm.

These interviews will be 10-minute sessions via Teams.
Please see below booking links and instructions.

Bookings close Thursday 8th May, at which time the booking system will close.

HOW TO BOOK: 

Click on the following link or QR Code: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/4yrps

1. Enter Your details

2. Select the teachers you wish to see

3. Select the appointment time that suits your family best. 

4. Parents who have booked interviews will be emailed a list of Teams Interview Links.

5. At the time of your interview, click on the link next to that specific teacher's name.

6. This will take you to the online lobby of the Teams session, where you can wait until the teacher admits you. 

If you are unable to secure a time that suits your family, please contact the teacher directly to organise a time that works for you. The staff contact list can be found in the newsletter (on the left), school app (Szapp) and QLearn Primary and Secondary cohorts.

Athletics Carnival

Tuesday 10th June will see our students in both Primary and Secondary converge on the oval at Marist College Emerald for our annual CapSDE Athletics Carnival in a sea of red and yellow.

Whether you are a Wattle or a Banksia supporter we would love for you to come along; participate and cheer for your team!  The Parents and Citizens will be putting on a BBQ.

If your child is wishing to participate in events at the Athletics Carnival, you will need to complete the nomination form below. These will need to be returned to:

Mr Murray Harch by no later than Monday 19th May. Email the completed nomination form to: mharc4@eq.edu.au. 

Age Champions will be awarded for ages 9 - 18 boys and girls.

Please RSVP your attendance for Athletics Carnival below

ANZAC Day - Dawn Service and March Rockhampton, Emerald and ANZAC Whole School Assembly

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P & C General Meeting - 6th May 3:30pm

Our next P&C General Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 6th May at 3:30pm, please find the link below.

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 498 989 511 80

Passcode: mh3mj2b9

Below for your perusal are the minutes & associated reports from our previous general meeting held on the 18th March.

The agenda for next week's meeting will be circulated soon, if you have any items to be added to the agenda please send them through before 12pm, Friday 2nd May.

Kind Regards, Suzie Pedersen

Save The Date For Mini-school

Oshu Japanese Student Exchange Homestay Opportunity for CapSDE Families

EXCITING NEWS! 15 HOST FAMILIES WANTED!

Did you know that CapSDE has our very own Sister School in Japan?
Last year CapSDE hosted a Japanese student exchange for the first time. This was a fantastic experience for both hosts and visiting students, with lifelong friendships formed. Great news, we have the privilege of hosting this exchange program again in 2025 and we are looking for families to volunteer to host our visitors once more.  

DETAILS

• Thursday 31 July - Wednesday 6 August (Week 3/4 of Term 3)
• 15 students (ages 14/15 years)
• 3 representatives from Oshu City Board of Education (these delegates will be hosted by our teaching staff)

Opportunities for Host Families (Please see attached itinerary for more details)

• Such a wonderful opportunity for you and your family to welcome, support and get to know these exchange students during their Australian trip.
• Host families will be invited to join with us for lunch at the Welcoming Ceremony at the Botanical Garden Tea Room (lunch  provided)
• ‘Buddy’ students in the host family are able to attend a day excursion with their exchange student.
• Saturday – Sunday, host families will be able to spend time with their Japanese student at their home.
• Host families will be invited to the Farewell Ceremony and tea before the students leave the next day (tea provided)

What you need to know:

• The student will require their own bedroom
  
• Provide meals during the 6 night stay (6 x breakfast, 5 x lunch, 5 x dinner)
• Being a host family is voluntary (no payment provided)
• Being a host family is such a rewarding experience. You will make contacts who will become friends for life.
• The students will be arriving into and departing from Rockhampton airport.
• Host families need to have a child (primary or secondary) enrolled with Cap SDE – they do not need to be currently studying Japanese.
• Itinerary will be provided in Term Two.

If you would like to put in an Expression of Interest to be a host family, please complete the attached form by April 4th.

For any further information, please contact Georgina Harch (49314855).

Additionally, please see documents below for more information regarding Oshu City and the Exchange Program. 

What's happening in Primary?

Deputy Principals

From the Deputy Principals Primary

This past week has been a wonderful display of the pride, respect, and commitment shown by our Capricornia School of Distance Education students.

Primary students from both our Emerald and Rockhampton campuses proudly participated in local ANZAC Day Marches and Dawn Services, representing our school community with great honour in their local areas. Their conduct and respect throughout these important events were outstanding, and we are incredibly proud of them. Special mention to those families that travelled to attend both the Dawn Services and the Marchs; showing commitment and respect for our ANZACS.

Additionally, our Year 6 students led a moving and thought-provoking ANZAC Ceremony for the entire school, from Prep to Year 12, via our online platform. In attendance at this ceremony was special guest Councillor Marika Taylor, who was full of praise for the way our students conducted themselves throughout the commemorative service. Thank to Marika Taylor for her attendance and for donating a special book for our library to mark the occasion,
Cherish WW1 ANZAC Poetry, author PA Watkins,
on behalf of the Mayor, Councillors and the Community of the Rockhampton Region. 

Our Year 6 student's leadership, maturity, and careful preparation were clearly evident and made the ceremony a memorable and meaningful experience for all.

Looking ahead, we are excited to share that selected students will be representing CapSDE at the Reader’s Cup Challenge in Rockhampton this Wednesday, the Mayoral Student Leaders Summit in Springsure on Monday, and the Maths Team Challenge (Rockhampton) and STEM Challenge (Emerald) next Thursday! We wish all the students the very best as they represent our school at these events.

Reminder to all students to complete their RSVP and nomination forms for the upcoming Athletics Carnival.

Thank you to all families for your ongoing support as we continue to provide opportunities for our students to grow, lead, and succeed.

Warm regards,
Katrina Hawley and Fiona Bailey

Rockhampton Eisteddfod Choir

If you haven’t yet expressed your interest in joining our Primary Choir, time is running out. Please notify Katrina Hawley of your interest in being involved in this wonderful opportunity.  You need to do this in order to be provided with access to the required MS Teams class for upcoming practice sessions which will commence in Term 2.

We are excited to kick off Term 2 with our Primary Choir rehearsals! Here are the key details you need to know:

📅 Rehearsal Schedule:
Choir will be held every Wednesday from 3:15 PM – 3:45 PM on the following dates:
✔️ 23 April
✔️ 30 April
✔️ 7 May
✔️ 14 May

📍 Where?
A dedicated P-6 Primary Choir and Eisteddfod channel has been created within the Primary Cohort 2025 Class on MS Teams. You can join the sessions via the MS Teams link here: Primary Cohort 2025 | P-6 Primary Choir and Eisteddfod | Microsoft Teams

🎵 Song for the Term: Living In The Jungle

🙏 A Huge Thank You!
A special thank you to Mary Ward for generously giving her time to lead these choir sessions. We appreciate her dedication to helping our students grow in their musical journey.

Resources have been added to this MS Teams class for student use. Eisteddfod details are yet to be released and we will provide you with further details once they have become available.

We can't wait to see our choir members for another fun and musical term! 🎤🎼

ICPA Sports Camp - registrations open on Tuesday 29th April, 9:00am

Less than one week to go until our 2025 Clermont Sports Camp
Registrations are officially open.

ICPA sports camp will be held from 24 - 29 August and the ICPA Clermont Branch would like to extend an invitation for students who are in Years 4 - 7.

See link below for camp information. 

Please contact the Sports Camp Administrator/Treasurer Kelly McDonald if you have any queries.

P: 0408 181 296   E: clermonticpasportscamp@gmail.com 

Secondary Scoop

Visual Arts in Practice

Year 8 Visual Arts

In Term 1, art students learnt about the famous artist, Pablo Picasso, his portraits, self-portraits and the art movement created called ‘Cubism’. Students were asked to create an abstract self-portrait for assessment. Drawing in an abstract way was something some of us had never done before, but it was fun because if you make a mistake, you can say it’s ‘abstract’ art. Students were taught how to draw a real face in proportion as well as facial features in an abstract way. We had eyes popping out everywhere! We also took a deep dive into ‘Analytical Cubism’, where shapes are distorted and fragmented like broken glass. Students used art elements including shape, colour and line to portray emotions in their self-portrait. The main media used was oil pastels. Here are some of our final works of art. We hope you find them interesting to look at and remember they are not meant to look realistic.

Mrs Semple and Year 8 art students.

Guidance 'Go-2'

Guidance Officer Week | 28 April – 9 May

This week we’re celebrating the incredible work of Guidance Officers within the Department of Education. CapSDE Guidance Officers, Kate and Sharon work to support the wellbeing and success of our students from Prep to Year 12.

Whether it’s supporting students with their learning pathways, helping navigate personal challenges, or simply being a listening ear—the care and commitment of Guidance Officers makes a real difference every day.

Visit the for more information: https://education.qld.gov.au/.../studen.../guidance-officers

What's on in your community?

Are You A Parent of a Child Between 0 to 12 Years Old?

Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland and The University of Queensland, are conducting research into parents’ opinions about parenting and climate change.

If you are a parent (18+ years) of a child aged 0 to 12 years and live in Australia, we would love to hear your views. You will need to complete a short online survey. To find out more or to participate, please visit https://surveys.unisq.edu.au/index.php/526111

This research has been approved by the UniSQ Human Research Ethics Committee (ETH2024-0126)

Alpha Show Opportunities

We welcome your feedback

Support Agency Contacts

Beyond Blue aims to increase awareness of depression and anxiety and reduce stigma. Call 1300 22 4636, 24 hours/7 days a week, chat online or email.

Blue Knot Foundation Helpline is the National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma. It provides support, education and resources for the families and communities of adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse. Call 1300 657 380, Monday – Sunday between 9am – 5pm AEST or via email helpline@blueknot.org.au.

Butterfly Foundation's National Helpline is a free, confidential service that provides information, counselling and treatment referral for people with eating disorders, and body image and related issues. Call 1800 33 4673, 8am-midnight AEST / 7 days a week, chat online or email.

eheadspace provides free online and telephone support and counselling to young people 12 – 25 and their families and friends. Call 1800 650 890, 9am – 1am AEST / 7 days a week, chat online or email.

FriendLine supports anyone who's feeling lonely, needs to reconnect or just wants a chat. You can call them 7 days a week on 1800 424 287, or chat online with one of their trained volunteers. All conversations with FriendLine are anonymous.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free 24/7 confidential and private counseling service specifically for children and young people aged 5 – 25. Call 1800 55 1800.

Lifeline provides 24-hour crisis counselling, support groups and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 14, text on 0477 13 11 14 (12pm to midnight AEST) or chat online.

MensLine Australia is a professional telephone and online counselling service offering support to Australian men. Call 1300 78 99 78, 24 hours/7 days a week, chat online or organise a video chat.

MindSpot is a free telephone and online service for people with anxiety, stress, low mood or depression. It provides online assessment and treatment for anxiety and depression. MindSpot is not an emergency or instant response service. Call 1800 61 44 34.

QLife provides nationwide telephone and web-based services for lesbian peer support and referral for people wanting to talk about a range of issues including sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. Call 1800 184 527, 3pm – 12am (midnight) AEST/7 days a week.

SANE Australia provides support to anyone in Australia affected by complex mental health issues, as well as their friends, family members and health professionals. Call 1800 18 7263, 10am – 10pm AEST (Mon – Fri), or chat online.

Suicide Call Back Service provides 24/7 support if you or someone you know is feeling suicidal. Call 1300 659 467.

Lifeline  on 13 11 14 — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Source from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-helplines