Week 4, 12th May 2025 CapSDE Newsletter

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

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

Save The Date For Mini-school

The Mini-school Newsletter has been published and is available to families in the Newsletter Archive and via the link in the email sent to families this morning. 

Please ensure you RSVP and complete all the required consent forms, returning them to administration@caprrocksde.eq.edu.au 

IT Support - Getting ready for the Windows 11 upgrade

After 14 October 2025, Microsoft will no longer provide free software updates from Windows Update, technical assistance, or security fixes for Windows 10.

Windows 11 is a new Windows experience, bringing you closer to what you love. With intuitive navigation and easy organization, Windows 11 has a whole new look, more apps, and efficient ways to be creative and productive.

This guide helps you get ready for Windows 11 and make the move. When you sign in with a Microsoft account, your files and Favourites come with you to Windows 11, helping you quickly get back to doing what you love.

Decide which device to use to run Windows 11

Windows 11 can run on PCs that meet the minimum hardware requirements. It might come pre-installed on new PCs, or you might be able to upgrade PCs currently running Windows 10.

Note: Some Windows 10 features aren't available in Windows 11. System requirements to experience some Windows 11 features and apps might exceed the Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Find Windows 11 specs, features, and computer requirements.

To check if your current Windows 10 PC can run Windows 11, download the PC Health Check app once it becomes available. Download PC Health Check.

For more about system requirements, see Windows 11 specs, features, and computer requirements.

If you're running a version of Windows that is out of support, or if your PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements to run Windows 11, consider moving to a new Windows 11 device. 

Back up your files

By default, your files, and data transfer to your new PC. We recommend you back up your files before you install Windows 11. To learn how, see Backup your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders with OneDrive.

Install Windows 11

Once the Windows 11 upgrade is tested and validated for your specific PC, Windows Update indicates that it's ready for installation.

To check if Windows 11 is ready for your device:

1. Select Start  and then select Settings  > Update & Security  > Windows Update .
   
   Or
   
   Select the following Windows Update shortcut:   Open Windows Update

1. In the Windows Update window that opens, select the Check for updates button.

Note: If there are updates available for the current version of Windows, the Windows 11 upgrade might not be made available until those updates are installed. Install any updates for the current version of Windows, restart the device, and then try checking for the Windows 11 upgrade again.

1. If Windows 11 is ready to be installed on the device, a message is displayed in the Windows Update window showing that Windows 11 is ready.
2. To proceed with the upgrade to Windows 11, select the Download and install button.

Note: Downloading and installing Windows 11 usually takes longer than a typical Windows 10 feature update. You can use your PC while Windows 11 downloads. Additionally, the install can be scheduled to happen at a specific time when you aren't planning on using your PC.

If you require any support with updating to Windows 11, please email it.support@caprrocksde.eq.edu.au or call IT on 0498 232 677.

What's happening in Primary?

Exploring Space with NASA: An Out-of-This-World Experience for Our Year 5 Students

On Friday 9th May, our Year 5 students were treated to a truly stellar learning experience thanks to a special online presentation by Benjamin Morrell from NASA. This exciting session opened young minds to the wonders of space exploration and the groundbreaking role robotics plays in this field.

Benjamin, who works with NASA’s cutting-edge technologies, shared fascinating insights into how robots are used to explore planets, navigate difficult terrain, and collect valuable scientific data far beyond Earth. Students were captivated as he described real-life missions and the incredible machines designed to assist astronauts and scientists in pushing the boundaries of space discovery.

The session was not only informative but also deeply inspiring. Students had the opportunity to ask questions and engage with real-world applications of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) learning, sparking curiosity and future aspirations in science, technology, and engineering.

We are incredibly grateful to Benjamin Morrell for generously sharing his time and expertise, and we are proud of our Year 5 students for their enthusiasm and thoughtful participation. Experiences like this help bring learning to life and remind us all of the limitless possibilities that come with education and imagination.

Here is the link to the recording of the session for anyone who would like to learn more about Robotic Explorers from Benjamin Morrell’s session.

Year 5/6 Students STEM Challenge

Year 5 and 6 students from Rockhampton and Emerald to participated in the Glencore Outback Exploratorium Science & Engineering Challenge last week!

This event gave students the chance to compete against other schools in fun, hands-on STEM challenges. They worked in teams to complete two of eight exciting science and engineering activities, designed to test creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Year One

This term, our Year 1 students have been diving into a range of informative texts and uncovering fascinating facts. One highlight was learning about the Red-Eyed Tree Frog. As part of this activity, students wrote an interesting fact they discovered, drew a realistic illustration of the frog, and labelled some of its key features. Students also looked at a text 'iceberg and wrote informative sentences about the climate and animals in Antartica. Below are some wonderful examples of their work

Year One

Years 5 - 10 Maths Team Challenges

Year 5 - 10 Students Take on Maths Team Challenge

Last week, a group of our talented students in years 5 - 10, represented our school in the Maths Team Challenge competitions. While they didn’t place in the final rankings, the experience was filled with teamwork, problem-solving, and plenty of fun!

A big thank you to Ms Pedler, Mrs Hood and Mrs Gordon for supporting and supervising the teams, and for making it possible for them to participate online. Well done to all involved — we’re proud of your effort and enthusiasm!

Check out the photo of our maths team in action below.

Secondary Scoop

From the Secondary Deputy

From the Deputy Principal's Desk: Looking Ahead to Mini-School

Next week’s Mini-school is shaping up to be an exciting and enriching experience for all our students, and I’m thrilled to share some of the highlights and our goals for the week ahead.

Mini-schools are a unique opportunity for our distance education students to come together, connect with peers, and engage in hands-on learning. One of our key goals for this Mini-school is to build stronger connections between our primary and secondary cohorts. A standout initiative supporting this is our whole-school disco, designed to bridge the gap between age groups through shared fun and social interaction. It’s a simple yet powerful way to strengthen our school community.

In addition to social activities, Mini-school provides a valuable platform for academic and practical learning. Secondary students will have the opportunity to complete essential VET practical assessments, ensuring they stay on track with their vocational education and training pathways.

We’re also excited to host an Aviation Day, where students studying their Certificate III in Aviation will pilot their own drone aircraft. This activity supports STEM learning and encourages the development of real-world skills in a fun and engaging environment.

Perhaps the biggest highlight of all will be our excursion to the local zoo and botanical gardens. More than just a day out, this visit is designed to spark creative and higher-order thinking. Students will be challenged to think critically and innovatively as they explore how these spaces could be used to better engage teenagers. They’ll design their own activity concepts with this goal in mind—a fantastic exercise in empathy, design thinking, and problem-solving.

Our Year 11 and 12 students will continue their regular lessons during the week, working from the Farm Street campus of CapSDE. This venue was chosen based on feedback from our senior students, who identified the importance of having ready access to support from their senior subject teachers, enabling them to maintain momentum as they work towards their academic goals.

We’re looking forward to a week filled with learning, laughter, and lasting connections. Thank you for your continued support in making Mini-school such a valuable part of our students’ learning journey.

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 

Guidance 'Go-2'

How To Know If You Have an Internet Addiction and What to Do

Internet addiction is a behavioural addiction in which a person becomes dependent on use of the Internet, or other online devices, as a maladaptive way of coping with life's stresses. Internet addiction is becoming widely recognised and acknowledged, particularly in countries where it is affecting large numbers of people, such as South Korea, where it has been declared a national health problem.

Read the below SchoolTV link, and see if you or your children have an addiction.

https://capricorniasde.eq.schooltv.me/sites/default/files/documents/Verywellmind.internet-addiction.pdf

Sourced from:

School TV (Very Well Mind)

LANGUAGE STUDY PROGRAM - KOBE

Boost your language skills while discovering one of the most fascinating cities in Japan!

Students aged 13-17 can participate in our Junior program, running in July and December 2025. Make the most of the holidays to spend 2, 3 or 4 weeks in Japan and return with memories to last a lifetime!

Accommodation is provided through welcoming Japanese host families, while each day is jam-packed with Japanese language classes in the morning, and outings and cultural activities in the afternoon/weekends. A few examples include: Kobe Animal Kingdom, Kobe Bay Cruise, Kobe beef tasting, karaoke night, Japanese cooking class, excursions to Osaka, and more!

Find out more: https://wep.org.au/study-a-language-abroad/japanese/japan/kobe/lexis-kobe

WEP Language Study Programs are also available to individuals aged 18 and over, under a different formula and with different course/accommodation options. Please visit the link provided above or email WEP for more information: info@wep.org.au

What's on in your community?

Capricorn Coast Writers Festival 

Stories by the Sea: The Capricorn Coast Writers Festival

The 2025 Capricorn Coast Writers Festival (30 May – 1 June) is for everyone who loves reading, writing or sharing a good story. Considered the premiere event on the Livingstone Shire winter calendar, it is a weekend of author panels, writers’ workshops and special evening events.

This year’s festival will host the largest number of authors since the festival was founded. Six best-selling and award-winning authors will be travelling to the region and, on the Saturday of the festival, twelve local authors will be participating in the free-to-attend local author expo. This is a chance to meet authors in person, get a book signed and share stories.

Students in the Livingstone Shire have been busy in the lead up to the festival writing for the Student Short Story Competition, hosted by Rotary Club of Yeppoon. It’s now up to the judges to decide which of these stories will be announced as finalists and become part of the 2025 Anthology of Student Short Stories. For the kids, there will also be a free reading and fun activities at the Yeppoon Library with award-winning children’s author Aleesah Darlison.

All the main events are happening at Yeppoon Town Hall. 

‘Some special sessions could sell out,’ says committee member James Manning. ‘There are opportunities for aspiring writers to get one-on-one author consults with representatives of the Queensland Writers Centre or crime fiction novelist Jack Roney.’

The Saturday night event is always one of the most popular and this year it will be hosted by 4RO radio personality Dales Whyte. 

The full festival program and tickets are available from the website https://www.capricorncoastwritersfestival.com

EVENT DETAILS:
What: Local Author Expo
When: Friday, 30 May, 2025 – Sunday, 1 June, 2025
Where: Yeppoon Town Hall
Cost: $22 - $360, Free events available throughout

For more information and the full Capricorn Coast Writers Festival program, visit https://www.capricorncoastwritersfestival.com/ or follow @capcoastwriters on social media.

Selectability Rockhampton

Selectability Rockhampton Youth Group Programs for 12 – 17 year olds: - 2.30pm – 6.00pm Monday – Friday.

Our group programs are free for young people to participate in.

All participants need to complete an intake sign-up which takes approximately 20 – 30 minutes and once completed they receive Free Clubhouse membership.

Young Clubhouse members are able to access the selectability Clubhouse and enjoy the facilities and activities and join in group programs from 2.30pm – 6.00pm weekdays.

We lock the clubhouse down at 2.00pm each day for our youth programs, which are conducted and supervised by our youth workers with a ratio of 3:1.

Mondays Group program – Pool Competition & games

Tuesdays Group Programs – Cooking

Wednesdays Group Program Arts & Crafts

Thursdays Group Program - Musical Fun

Fridays Group Program Community excursions

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