CSDE Weekly eNewsletter 19th August 2022
-
Our School Values
-
Principal's Pen
-
Message from the Head of Special Education Services
-
2022 Early School Leavers survey
-
Primary News
-
Year 5-6 Camp
-
Mini-school - Emerald Campus
-
Woolworths Cricket Blast
-
2022 My Place Competition
-
Guidance 'GO 2"
-
Secondary Scoop...
-
VET Assessment Day - 17th October
-
Year 11 Field Trip - Biology, Aquatic Practices & Geography students
-
Year 12 QTAC Information Sessions
-
Mathematics Department
-
Start TAFE now opportunity
-
Year 7 - 9 Camp - Total Adventures
-
CQ University Open Day
-
CSDE Cultural Snapshot
-
Apprenticeship & Employment Opportunities
-
We welcome your feedback
-
What's on in your Community gallery
Our School Values
Principal's Pen
It has been a big day on the Rockhampton Campus with the installation of the second demountable building and amenities block. Things are really starting to take shape and it’s expected that the buildings will be handed over by the end of September.
On the Emerald Campus we’ve just had our T2000 classrooms repainted. They are looking clean, fresh and ready for our students to return for our Term 4 Mini-school.
This week it was good to see our primary students back into their routine following a very successful Mini-school and camp. The behaviour of our students at both of these events was exemplary and all students are to be commended on their conduct.
Our secondary students continue to work diligently as the year progresses and I encourage all of our 7-12 students to make contact with their teachers should they have any questions about their course of study.
If at any time you are unable to contact a member of staff please call our main reception numbers and our friendly administration staff will ensure that your message is delivered.
Next week a number of our administration staff at both the Emerald and Rockhampton Campus will travel to the Gold Coast to attend the SBMAQ State Conference hosted by the Small Business Managers Association. These conferences are an excellent opportunity for our administration staff to gain new skills, build networks and return with information on topics such as organisational safety and wellbeing, dispute resolution services, organisational design, school facilities operations and time management to name a few of the interesting workshops on offer.
Kind regards
Amanda Rynne
Message from the Head of Special Education Services
One of the major considerations for our school in recent times, has been around reflecting on our teaching and school wide processes to ensure they are meeting the Queensland Education Department’s commitment to providing an Inclusive education for all our students.
This has meant a continuous focus on ensuring we are working toward creating a school where students of all identities and all abilities, regardless of their social, cultural, community and family backgrounds can connect, participate and learn.
Our school is committed to providing educational opportunities where students can access and participate in a high-quality education and fully engage in the curriculum alongside their similar-aged peers and expect that they will achieve successful outcomes.
Students experience an inclusive education when they are supported by reasonable adjustments which have been tailored to meet their individual needs.
These reasonable adjustments are the supports which allow students, both academically and socially, to work toward reaching their full potential. It is about schools identifying the barriers to full participation in the curriculum, identifying their strengths and working with the students and their Home Tutors. In this way we can support the student to be more successful in their learning and engagement.
This year has seen the introduction of Inclusion Support Teachers into both the primary and secondary areas of the school, with the specific purpose of assisting teachers to better support the diversity of students they have in their classes.
The Education Department’s commitment to the integration of students who have previously been taught in separate learning environments has meant as a staff we need to continue to upskill teachers to ensure all students in our classes can access the learning materials at an appropriate level. It also makes us as a staff, much more aware of the need to have “student voice” assisting us to make the educational adjustments relevant to individuals.
As a whole staff we have already engaged with the Department’s Autism Support Officers and looked at ways we can plan specifically to support students who are on the spectrum.
This term also sees staff continuing to engage in professional development in the area of technologies designed to support students to engage more fully in the classroom and to better communicate their ideas. These “Assistive Technologies” give us additional tools which will allow teachers to better support students in mainstream classes.
As the Department moves ahead with their vision of fully inclusive Queensland schools, CSDE will continue to work with students and their families to make the reasonable adjustments to curriculum and social learning opportunities to ensure all students can access and participate in all aspects of our rich school life at CSDE.
Cathryn Haywood-Batchelor
2022 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 2021, 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 2022.
For more information, visit www.qld.gov.au/nextstep/ or telephone toll free on 1800 068 587.
Primary News
Year 5-6 Camp
Our Year 5 - 6 students put their artistic skills on display at the recent camp.
Mini-school - Emerald Campus
Woolworths Cricket Blast
2022 My Place Competition
The 2022 My Place Competition opens from 15 August.
The My Place television series, based on the classic picture book by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, is a ‘time machine’ which takes audiences back into the past. It depicts the history of one Australian community through the eyes of the diverse children who lived there, highlighting the ways that people and places shape our personal, local and national histories. Drawing on the text’s themes, the 2022 My Place Competition prompts students to reflect on change and continuity in their own evolving places and communities.
Jointly presented by the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, ABC Education and Reading Australia, the 2022 My Place Competition is open to primary students in Years 1 – 6, secondary students in Years 7 and 8, and special education students of all ages.
The 2022 My Place Competition asks students to reflect on change and continuity throughout time in their own communities. Participants are invited to submit a short piece of creative writing that captures the history of their own local area and/or the people living there. This could include narratives, historical recounts, letters, diary entries, news reports, poetry, or other forms of creative writing.
Key dates
- Entries can be submitted through the competition page between 15 August – 16 September.
- Winners will be announced in early Term 4.
Categories
- Years 1 and 2 – Up to 200 words / 2 pages
- Years 3 and 4 – Up to 500 words
- Years 5 and 6 – Up to 750 words
- Years 7 and 8 - Up to 1000 words
- Special Education – No word limit
For more information, please visit the My Place Competition website.
Guidance 'GO 2"
Video Game Addiction
Background
It is recommended that children should limit “screen time” (time spent playing video games, using the computer, or watching television and movies) to one or two hours a day of “quality programming.” If your child is playing significantly more than this, or if video or computer games are negatively affecting their school or personal life, professional help may be in order.
Video games feed the brain’s reward centres in a similar way that drugs or alcohol produce an appealing “high.” As such, treatment for video game addiction often centres on the same principles as treatment for drug or alcohol addiction.
Video game addiction is often a symptom of an underlying emotional or psychological issue such as depression or anxiety, and sometimes goes hand in hand with defiance, ADHD, and other conditions. In these cases, the child needs a treatment program that will address both video game addiction and any co-occurring emotional or behavioural issues.
Physical Consequences of Gaming Addiction
Physical consequences of gaming addiction include carpal tunnel, migraines, sleep disturbances, backaches, eating irregularities, and poor personal hygiene.
Treatment Strategies
- Take the screens out of your child’s bedroom. Don’t let your children have a computer or television in their bedrooms. Keep those devices out in a public space. And position the monitors so you can always see what is on their screen. If they are too embarrassed to have you see what they are doing, then they probably shouldn’t be doing it, right?
- Make them earn game time. This teaches kids how to prioritize real-life activities over the game. Perhaps they need to do certain chores before they can play. Or finish their homework. Or put in practice time at the piano. Almost any activity will do as long as it shows your child that time with the game comes at the bottom of their to-do list. These games are designed to keep kids playing nonstop. Requiring them to put time aside to do other things will help them develop time-management skills.
- Try to help foster your child’s social life outside of the game. Video games are sometimes an escape for children who find it difficult to relate to those around them. If you feel this is the case, then you should find other ways for your child to productively socialize. Also, if their friends play online games with them, find out! It becomes harder to control your child’s impulses when they have all their friends waiting for them to log on and play.
- Don’t let the game become their primary reward system. Give them goals outside of the game that they need to achieve. Often, addictive games are so enticing because they reward players for meeting certain goals. However, these goals are always replaced with harder, more time-consuming goals, so the player is never quite “done” with the game. If children feel that they have more important goals to achieve than those laid out in the game, they will be less inclined to want to play all day.
As a last resort, cut your video game-obsessed child off from the game entirely. This is not generally something that would be wise to do if your child is heavily addicted, as making them stop cold-turkey can create more problems than it might solve. But sometimes you just have to shut off the offending behavior. If you can, wean your child off of the game using some of the tips above so they can gradually learn how to prioritize their time correctly.
Sites that may be useful:
http://familybootcamp.org/news/2014/10/7/tips-for-parents-for-disrupting-a-gaming-addiction
https://siccura.com/online-gaming-addiction-a-prevention-guide-for-parents/
https://www.addictions.com/computer/computer-game-addiction/
Secondary Scoop...
VET Assessment Day - 17th October
Last opportunity for support in completing course assessment with your trainer face-to-face for courses concluding this year.
Year 11 Field Trip - Biology, Aquatic Practices & Geography students
The 2nd – 4th November will see our Year 11 students who are enrolled in Aquatic Practices, Biology or Geography, participating in a field trip as part of the mandatory curriculum requirements for these subjects.
This field trip will be held at the North Keppel Island Environmental Education Centre. Field trip booklet and information has been emailed to students enrolled in these subjects.
For your child to attend the Year 11 Aquatic Practices, Biology & Geography Field Trip 2022, you must have completed the following:
• RSVP by 16th September (see link below) or click on the calendar event in the app calendar.
• Complete the Activity Consent form, Permission form, including updating any medical details and consent to administer medication form (if required) and returning all pages by no later than
Monday 10th October, to administration at: administration@caprrocksde.eq.edu.au.
Year 12 QTAC Information Sessions
Join Guidance Officer Sharon Coyne as she runs two Year 12 QTAC Information sessions.
When: Tuesday 23 August 8:00am and then again at 3:00pm
Where: Year 12 classroom, Blackboard Ultra
Mathematics Department
Last week’s newsletter discussed the metric of Growth in our maths classrooms. This week we discuss the metric of Accuracy:
Accuracy
Accuracy refers to how many modules your child displayed mastery in, counted against how many modules they completed leading up to the test (not how many they were assigned).
For example: Linda had 5 modules on her test. She mastered 4 of those modules. Her accuracy score is 4 out of 5, or 80%.
If students are not achieving high percentages of accuracy, your class teacher will discuss with your child the possible reasons – is your child trying to do too many modules? Are they misinterpreting the test questions? Are they rushing and missing the details? Your class teacher will work with students to improve their accuracy result.
Our top Students with 100% accuracy this term:
Tyler Allen, Veronnika Flohr, Brya Grundy, Ali Wittman, Chad Ellison, Genyun Law, Sars Mackison, Demi Minns, James Smith, Jacob Towns, Mitchel Bradford, Rory Brooks, Dangahla Fogarty, Marley Forte, Mitchell Harvey, Madeleine Jarvis, Shannon King, Maya Krulic, Lily Raine, Chelsey Roots, Laila Kajewski, Jayde Lyons, Tim Sothman, Jacob White, Mahala Herberlein, Sienna Marsden-Brooks, Sapphire Arthur, Peyton Moran, Ethan Krulic, Abby Weisse, Max Niven, Aylah O’Reilly, Brody Cohen, Nicolai Dunkley, Patrick Jacobson, Finlay Kilburn, Jamie Otto, Ava Rogers, Jack Turner, Elijah Van Zinderen, Jamie Bott, Sophie Ellis, Ashton Hampton,
Start TAFE now opportunity
Students will be able to apply for a 2023 CQU Start TAFE Now (STN) course from Tuesday, 23 August 2022, via our Apply Online portal.
Step-by-step How to Apply for Start TAFE Now.
STN Online Application - How to Guide - Detailed steps to submitting an online application through CQU's Online Application Portal.
Start TAFE Now Study Authorisation form - must be completed, signed by the student, parent/ guardian and school, and attached to each application.
Year 7 - 9 Camp - Total Adventures
RSVP's and places have now closed for students in Years 7 - 9 heading to camp from 12th - 16th September. Total Adventures at Noosa North Shore will be a hive of activity as students enjoy all there is to offer whilst building relationships, pushing their limits, exploring their potential, discovering the wonders of the Australia Zoo and spending the week having a great time. Please familiarise yourself with the Camp Booklet below which includes all the camp information, payment and transport details. As always, if you have any questions please phone the school and we will be happy to help.
CQ University Open Day
CQ University is excited to welcome you and your students to our Open Day on Sunday, 21 August, 9 am - 12 pm!
Students can realise their options, take control and launch into their future at Open Day. It's also an opportunity to:
- Discover a passion and a career
- Choose a pathway to study
- Chat with our specialist lecturers about courses and work placements
- Meet our student advice experts to talk scholarships, student support and uni life
What to do at 'Open Day'
- Explore our university, TAFE and pathway courses
- Chat one-on-one with our expert lecturers and teaching teams
- Join the "Future You at CQU" session for application and course information
- Tour labs, Allied Health facilities, student residences and more
- Discover our facilities from Engineering to Nursing, and everything in between
- Learn how we'll support the student experience
- Participate in activities - check out the anatomy dissections in the Medical Science lab and explore the CQU training ambulance
- Grab a free coffee and visit our friendly student advisors at the Careers Cafe to find out about fees, scholarships, pathways and more
Can't make it onto campus?
Visitors can join us online instead at our Virtual Open Day and Open Day Online Chat Sessions.
Our expert team is prepped and primed, and ready to take questions online about courses, support, uni life and everything in between.
CSDE Cultural Snapshot
THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION
Cultural diversity is important in every setting in life, but it can be even more pivotal when it happens within education. Students around the world have the right to equal access of quality education, and as such, there are many upsides that come along with it when institutions believe in the power of diversity.
Cultural diversity in education helps to support:
1. Deep Learning
Learning happens within the curriculum and outside of it. With a diverse student population, students have the privilege of gaining more understanding about people and backgrounds from all over. This also contributes to diversity of thought and perspectives that make learning more interesting and dynamic.
2. Confidence and Growth
When students participate with people from varied cultures, it provides them with more confidence in dealing with things outside of their comfort zones. It can build strength of character, pride, and confidence.
3. Preparation for The Future
If a workplace has done the necessary work, it’s bound to be culturally diverse. Attending a culturally diverse institute of education will prepare students for their future in a workplace.
4. More Empathy
Interacting with people who have diverse practices, beliefs, life experiences, and culture promotes empathy. While you can never fully understand someone’s life without being them, you can learn, listen, and understand.
Sourced from:
Apprenticeship & Employment Opportunities
Funding is now available for Job Seekers and School Leavers/Young Persons looking for employment.
Eligible individuals will be able to obtain units of competency relevant to the Mining and Civil Construction sectors at ZERO COST under the JobTrainer Fund.
This includes Standard 11 units, Working at Heights, Confined Spaces, Hand and Power Tools, Isolate and Access Plant and more through obtaining a RII20120 Certificate II in Resources and Infrastructure Work Preparation qualification.
The next intake commences on the 29th August 2022
To access the eligibility form please click here. For further details and to secure a position in the course please contact our team on 07 4939 1445 or email admin@coaltrain.com.au
This qualification is fully funded through JobTrainer which is a jointly funded initiative of the Australian and state and territory government.
RTO: 32507