Week 3, 6th May 2025 CapSDE Newsletter

Principal's Pen

Welcome back to Term 2 and the start of Week 3!

I’m delighted to be back from leave and to see our school buzzing with energy once again.

During my time away, I had the joy of welcoming my second granddaughter into the world. Holding that tiny, perfect bundle reminded me of the power of family—and the importance of slowing our pace to truly savour life’s most precious moments.

I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to Georgina Harch, who stepped in as Principal while I was on leave. Her dedication and leadership ensured that our school community continued to thrive—thank you, Georgina!

Term 2 is always a vibrant and busy time on campus, with so many opportunities for our students to lead, learn and grow. We’ve already honoured ANZAC Day with deep respect—thank you to everyone who took the time to commemorate, and a special thank-you to all who shared photos of our students, staff and families in attendance.

A big congratulations to our Readers Cup Team, who secured 3rd place—well done on your teamwork and dedication and thank you to Miss Grace for making this opportunity possible!

I look forward to continuing to support our students to reach their highest potential this term.

Warm regards,
Amanda Rynne

Readers Cup

Congratulations to our Readers Cup Team!

Capricornia School of Distance Education is proud to celebrate our amazing students who placed 3rd in the Rockhampton Region Readers Cup competition – the flagship event of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (Queensland Branch)! With over 20 teams competing from State Schools in the Rockhampton/Yeppoon area Moura, Biloela, along with Girls Grammar School, St Benedicts and St Josephs.

This state-wide challenge sees students dive into a selection of books and then put their knowledge to the test in a high-energy quiz. Our team showed incredible dedication and teamwork, and we couldn’t be prouder of their achievement.

A heartfelt thank you to Ms Grace for her commitment, encouragement, and tireless support in the lead-up to and during the event. Your guidance made all the difference! Congratulations also goes to Taranganba State School for taking out 1st and 2nd places. Well done, team CapSDE!

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

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

ICPA Bush Wisdom Luncheon

On behalf of Isolated Childrens’ Parents’ Association Capricornia branch, we invite you to an upcoming Bush Wisdom lunch from 11.30am on 22 May at Headricks Lane, 189 East St, Rockhampton.

Tickets are $85 and include a two-course meal, welcome bubbles on arrival, two-inspiring guest speakers and a copy of Bush Journal magazine.  https://events.humanitix.com/bush-wisdom

The Bush Wisdom lunch is a collaboration between ICPA Capricornia and editor and photographer Jessica Howard of Bush Journal.

Enjoy a celebration of connection and bush wisdom. ICPA Capricornia is also celebrating its 30-year anniversary this year, supporting rural and regional education. Our advocacy extends to small schools, distance education, boarding schools and beyond.

Our guest speakers are Louise Dunne and Jessica Howard. Louise will speak about the importance of rural education, advocacy and rural life, while Jessica will share her journey of rural story-telling and building community through images, words and connection.

We thank our principal sponsor Teys Australia, along with Glen Kelly MP, Member for Mirani and Donna Kirkland MP, Member for Rockhampton.

We hope you can join us.

Kind regards

ICPA Capricornia

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?

Mayoral Summit

 What an inspiring day!
Three of our Primary Captains had the privilege of attending the Central Highlands Regional Council Mayoral Summit in Springsure today.

They had the opportunity to hear from guest speaker Dr Chadden Hunter, a world-renowned wildlife filmmaker who’s worked with National Geographic, the BBC and Sir David Attenborough! 🌿🎥 From tribal ceremonies in Africa to snow leopards in Pakistan and freezing conditions with arctic wolves, Dr Hunter’s stories of global adventure truly captivated our students.

What an unforgettable experience to hear firsthand about the wonders of our planet and the power of storytelling through film! 🌍👏

Year 5 Guest Speaker - Capri Connect, Friday 9th May

Next Friday 9th May at 2:05pm all Year 5 students are to attend the Robotic Explorers Session with Benjamin Morrell. This will be accessed through the Capri Connect Class Team in the Capri-Connect ALL Year 5s Channel (see image below)

Please click on the direct link below. Please note that this is only for Year 5 students as it directly links to the Year Five Curriculum. 

Prep

What a busy and exciting time it’s been in Prep! Across both our Rockhampton and Emerald campuses, students have been working hard to master their Level One phonics sounds. They are now blending these sounds together to read their decodable texts – such a big achievement!

In English, our clever Preppies are learning how to spot the difference between imaginative and informative texts. They have also been writing simple facts about animals, while setting personal writing goals like writing the sounds they hear, using finger spaces, starting sentences with capital letters, and remembering their full stops.

In Maths, our students are becoming counting superstars, confidently counting to 30 and practising counting backwards from 20. They’re also learning the days of the week and exploring how to partition numbers up to 10.

We’ve had the joy of welcoming some wonderful new friends to our Prep classes and we can’t wait to see everyone at Mini-School in Week 5!

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Rockhampton Eisteddfod Choir

Thank you to all the students who have been sharing their singing voices online on Wednesday afternoon for Eisteddfod Choir. Please note that there are only TWO more rehearsals before the performance. 

IMPORTANT - If you haven't already, please record yourself singing and add your video to our chat so that Mrs Ward is able to arrange our members ready for the performance on the day. 

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

🎵 Song for the Term: Living In The Jungle

During Mini-school, students will participate in a face-to-face choir practice at the Rockhampton CapSDE Library in the middle session (11:30 - 12:30). Parents are to collect their students from the Library at 12:30pm sharp and transport students to the Pilbeam Theatre.

WHAT TO BRING:

• Full School Uniform - NO SENIOR SHIRTS
• Water Bottle
• Closed in Shoes
• Afternoon Snack

If someone other than a parent will be collecting the student to take them to the performance (car-pooling), please ensure you have completed an alternate guardian form and returned it to administration along with your consent form by the 14th May.

ICPA Sports Camp - 1 Week left to register!

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. There are only a handful of spaces available. 

See link below for camp information. Please note that it is imperative that you send in your medical form. Without the form, ICPA are unable to finalise and secure your students permission.

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

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

Brigalow Athletics Carnival

If you have a student that would like to participate in the Brigalow Sports Carnival which will be hold on Wednesday 18th June, please contact Tereina Symonds at Valkyrie State School on:

P: 07 4950 7126
M: 0477 731 639
E: tsymo30@eq.edu.au

There will be a BBQ available on the day, see below prices and options. Please let Tereina know if you plan on using this BBQ so they have numbers to inform catering. 

Secondary Scoop

2025 Capricorn MEGA Careers Expo!

CQUniversity is proud to partner with Advance Rockhampton and the Rockhampton Manufacturing Hub to present the 2025 Capricorn MEGA Careers Expo — an exciting event designed to help students shape their futures!

Open to Year 10, 11, and 12 students, the Expo is your chance to explore a wide range of career pathways after high school. Whether you’re interested in university, apprenticeships, trades, or local industry opportunities, this event has something for you.

Why attend?

• Connect with industry professionals and ask questions about real-world careers.
• Discover a variety of education and training options, including universities, TAFE, apprenticeships, and traineeships.
• Visit interactive exhibits from leading local businesses and organisations across sectors like civil construction, resources, manufacturing, and more.

This is a hands-on, engaging experience that will help you make informed decisions about your future — don’t miss it!

📅 Date: 15^th May, 2025
📍 Location: CQ University via Bus
🕘 Time: Arrive 11.00am CapSDE Rockhampton Campus

Register now to secure your spot and get ready to explore the future of work!

Below is the consent form. Please complete and return it to administration@caprrocksde.eq.edu.au 

English

Welcome back to another exciting term in the English Department! We've hit the ground running in Term 2, and it's been wonderful to see students continuing to embrace new ways of learning. A particular highlight has been the smooth uptake of Microsoft Teams. It’s fantastic to see students navigating this platform with increasing confidence and independence, enabling greater collaboration, communication, and connection across our classes. 

As we look ahead to the rest of the term, our students will be engaging with a wide variety of rich and meaningful learning experiences. From exploring and analysing a range of texts to experimenting with creative formats such as VLOG creations and memoir writing, there are plenty of opportunities for students to develop and showcase their skills. Some classes will also be participating in online discussion boards and crafting feature articles, allowing for deeper critical thinking and real-world application of their learning. These activities are closely aligned with the V9 Australian Curriculum, which emphasises student voice, multimodal communication, and authentic audience engagement. We’re excited to see the creativity and insight our students bring to these tasks. 

Our senior students are already counting down the weeks until the end of their schooling year—a milestone that is fast approaching. During this important time, we encourage them to stay focused, stay committed, and continue putting their best effort into every task. As always, our teachers are here to support you, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need clarification, guidance, or encouragement. Every step you take now brings you closer to your goals. 

We’re incredibly proud of the way Term 2 has begun and look forward to seeing the continued growth, creativity, and achievements of our students throughout the term. Here’s to another fantastic chapter in the English Department! 

Warm regards, 
The English Department 

Languages Department

We are proud to announce that we have now officially formalised our ongoing Sister City and Student Exchange Agreement with Oshu City, in Japan.  In 2019 we negotiated a 5-year Exchange Program Agreement and it was due for renewal in April this year.

The Superintendent of Education in Oshu City was keen to re-negotiate and extend the agreement for another 5 years. We made some modifications to reflect and emphasise how valuable the online lesson exchanges between CapSDE Japanese classes and Oshu school classes are, particularly the impact on student engagement and the important avenue they are providing for our regional, rural and remote students to apply their language learning in real-life contexts (as the original agreement was developed pre-Covid).

On Monday, April 28 we had a virtual signing ceremony meeting with delegates from Oshu City and members of the leadership team from CapSDE.  The Oshu City Board of Education have confirmed the upcoming student exchange visit in August this year.  There will be 15 students and 3 officials coming to CapSDE in early August, for approximately 7 days.  Thank you to families who have already volunteered to host a student during this visit.  Please contact us if you would like to be involved in this very rewarding program.

The Superintendent is also very keen for a reciprocal visit (as stated in the agreement).  On the back of the upcoming Oshu visit, our students are also very keen to go to Oshu City for a student exchange.  We have informed the Board that we are continuing to investigate this by obtaining quotes and ascertaining the cost viability for our families. Oshu City Board of Education will be offering homestay and transport in and around the city at no cost, so this will provide significant savings for our families.  We are looking forward to offering this exciting development to our students in the future!

Guidance 'Go-2'

Parent Wellbeing Survey

Dear CapSDE Families,

We’re inviting all parents and carers to take a few moments to complete our Parent Wellbeing Survey, developed in partnership with SchoolTV.

This survey is a valuable tool that will help us:

• Identify the key wellbeing concerns of our parent community

• Shape relevant content for Capri Connect lessons

• Inform our Guidance Officers’ support strategies

• Compare our school data with broader state trends

• Understand any external or environmental factors impacting students

• Tailor Mini School sessions, Home Tutor events, and curriculum planning to meet real needs

At this stage, we haven’t received any responses, so your participation is crucial. The feedback we receive will guide our efforts in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of students across both the primary and secondary cohorts.

Please take a few minutes to watch this short video ( https://capricorniasde.eq.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2025-au ) explaining the purpose of the survey and how your input helps.

Parent Survey Links:

• Primary Link: https://capricorniasde.eq.schooltv.me/wellbeing-barometer-2025-primary  

• Secondary Link:  https://capricorniasde.eq.schooltv.me/wellbeing-barometer-2025-secondary 

These surveys are intended for parents and carers only (not students). All responses are anonymous.

Thank you in advance for helping us better understand and support our CapSDE students.

What's on in your community?

Fitzroy Basin Association - Land Management

FBA is heading to a community near you! We’re delivering a range of events packed with expert advice, hands-on learning and real-world solutions towards a sustainable future for you, your business and your community.

Please see the link below for FBA’s Event Page where you can check out the event topics and speakers and Register.

Trees in Grazing at Rolleston 7th May

This workshop offers practical strategies for integrating native trees into agriculture, focusing on sustainable grazing in central Queensland. Learn how to boost productivity and reduce on-farm emissions while enhancing environmental sustainability and climate resilience with real-world examples and practical solutions you can apply to your business

Grazing for a Sustainable Future at Willows, Gemfields 19th May

This workshop explores Carbon in Grazing—its challenges, opportunities, and practical implementation. Learn how local beef producers are integrating carbon strategies with efficient herd and grazing management to cut emissions and boost productivity. Hear real-world examples from graziers already making it work in their businesses.

Registration Link:  https://fba.org.au/events-page

Alpha Show Opportunities

The Saver Plus Program

School camps offer incredible experiences for students, but we understand that the costs can be challenging for some families.

The Saver Plus program can support in saving and budgeting for camp expenses. 

About Saver Plus

Saver Plus supports parents to save $50 per month for 10 months with online financial education workshops. The savings are then matched dollar-for-dollar, providing up to $500 extra for education-related costs*—potentially giving families $1,000 to help cover school camp fees.

Families can join anytime throughout the year and have funds ready to pay for camps or other education-related costs after completion of the program.

*Education-related costs include camps, laptops, school uniforms, stationery and more.

Eligibility criteria for parents include:

• Holding a Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
• Receiving a Centrelink payment
• Having a regular income from employment, carer’s payment, or child support
• Have a child in school

To check eligibility families can visit our website or request a callback at 1300 610 355.

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