2023 KINGAROY HIGHLIGHTS #6
Principal's Message
Senior Schooling News
Year 11
Subject Changes
A reminder that students can change subjects at the end of Unit 1, which is Week 5 of this term. Students must complete the assessment of the subject they are in currently, however, the changes can be arranged between now and Week 5/6 of this term.
RYDA
The Rotary club sponsor the RYDA program, a driver awareness program, and this will be occurring for all Year 11 students next Wednesday from lessons 1 to 3 inclusive. While the presenters are very mindful of their presentations, if any items do trigger any past events for students, our Guidance Officer will be available or the student may be able to take a few minutes before reengaging. It is an excellent program and we thank Rotary for their hard work and commitment to the youth and future drivers of the South Burnett.
Reports for Year 11 and 12
Reports were issued this week and I hope you have had the opportunity to review these with your Year 11 and 12 student. In the main, the reports were excellent. Concerns for the school are when students are awarded an 'N' result for non-submission of work and/or receive below Satisfactory results for Effort and Behaviour. The Senior Schooling team will be reviewing all reports over the next couple of weeks and will certainly be contacting parents/caregivers of our concerns as required.
Holidays
I cannot stress enough, the QCAA does not allow family holidays to be a reason for a student not sitting an exam on the day that it is scheduled. Holidays, or events of the students/parents/caregivers own choosing that lead to an absence are not grounds for an AARA. If your family does have an occasion on during school time please contact the school to discuss as there is no flexibility here at all.
Year 12
Unit 4
Year 12 students started their Unit 4 today. While the light at the end of the tunnel may appear very dim, it is starting to appear.
It can be a very difficult time for Year 12 students in terms of keeping motivated and engaged with school, however our expectations of them as leaders in the school do not change. The rewards at the end of Year 12 are worth working hard for and that remains our focus.
Vaping
The school has no tolerance to the possession of or using of any vaping device.
Mark Freeman
Deputy Principal, Educational Achievement - Senior Secondary
Wellbeing and Engagement
Queensland Engagement and Wellbeing Survey
This term, students in Years 7, 9, 10 and 12 will be asked to take part in the Queensland Engagement and Wellbeing (QEW) Survey. We know that wellbeing and engagement are important parts of your child’s life at school. The QEW Survey is designed to measure how students view their wellbeing and engagement across different topics. The information we get from the survey helps us better understand and support our students. Further details were emailed home to families.
School Refusal
School refusal is when students get extremely upset at the idea of going to school and miss some or all of the school day. School refusal can mean that students have trouble going to school or trouble leaving home, so they might not go to school at all. They usually spend the day at home with their parents’ knowledge, even though their parents try hard to get them to go. There are things parents can do about school refusal:
• Try to understand the issue from their child’s point of view.
• Work with teachers on getting their child back to school.
• Praise their child for brave behaviour, like getting ready for school.
• Stay calm and manage their own frustration or worries. When children go to school, it keeps them connected with learning. It also builds their confidence and resilience, and it’s important for social development. It’s often easier for children to return to school if they haven’t been away too long.
PBL- Rewarding Positive Behaviour
Kingaroy Merit Points will continue at Kingaroy SHS. Rewards will be decided by the Student Council and student surveys. It has been a very well embraced initiative at the school.
The school’s recent focus has been on respecting people and school facilities.
Steve Perrett
A/Deputy Principal, Wellbeing and Engagement
Annual Interhouse Cross Country
Parents are advised that this year’s Interhouse Cross Country event will be held on Tuesday May 2, commencing from and finishing on the top oval. All students are expected to participate unless they have a genuine medical reason for not doing so, in which case they should have a note from parents stating this or please email Mr Bunyoung jbuny6@eq.edu.au. These students will be spectators for the event. Students without parent/caregiver consent for off campus activities will be running/walking around the 400m track on the oval (completing their allocated distance for their age). The consent form can be filled out online here.
Students are encouraged to run in house colours but must wear school uniform for the first 3 periods.
Race times (approximate) and distances are as follows:
1.30pm - 15, 16 and Open girls 3.5km
1.35pm - 12, 13 and 14 year old boys 3.5km
1.40pm - 12, 13 and 14 year old girls 3.5km
1.45pm - 15, 16 and Open boys 5.0km
Parents are welcome to attend and spectate the event.
The first four placegetters in each age group will gain selection in the school team to contest the South Burnett Cross Country to be held in Wondai on Tuesday May 9.
John Bunyoung
Sports Coordinator
3.5km Course
Extra 1.5km for 15, 16, 17, 18 boys (run before 3.5km course)
Guidance Officer Week
We have been celebrating our Guidance Officers this week, and thought it would be nice to share with you how they came to be where they are. Here are their stories.....
Mr Sean Wicks
Ah well, like most stories begin, I was wallowing in the backblocks of an Ag program that had run its course. I loved what we achieved in our Ag program. It was meaningful to see students who struggled in other parts of the school and in other subjects, experience success in Ag because they could prove themselves with their hands.
I remember one day in the cattle yards when my Year 9 Ag class was working with a team of fairly fresh (or green) led steers and heifers. One lively student, who struggled academically and found himself in constant strife across the school, decided to take the lead rope of a heifer that was his equal in the bovine world. Their personalities clashed immediately and the student found himself in the mud of the yard before he realised what was happening. He was unhurt. The heifer had won Round 1.
The student pulled himself together and was given two options. He could hang to the side and further regather himself, or he could go back to the heifer and try again (with a calmer tact). To his great credit, he rose to the challenge. By the end of the lesson, the student had the heifer leading fluidly and standing quietly, and he was able to slip her halter off without her trying to escape his presence. He was rightfully proud of his achievement.
There were many moments (not as dangerous) like that, where students learned something about themselves of which they could be proud. They just needed a different opportunity to make those discoveries. Thanks to my family and friends, I was able to complete my education to make the transition into the world of guidance and counselling.
It is and always has been a privilege to walk beside young people to support and help them reach their potential, or even just to show them there are other ways to live a life.
Mrs Rebecca Zischke
My story of becoming a Guidance Officer is a little different to most, as I only became a teacher so that I could study my Masters in Education Guidance and Counselling to become a Guidance Officer! I just enjoyed teaching more than I anticipated and taught for 7 years as a Secondary Home Economics, Hospitality and English teacher at both Murgon SHS and Kingaroy SHS. I’ve been working as a Guidance Officer since 2010. Whilst I have been lucky to have worked the majority of my Guidance time at Kingaroy SHS, I also worked at Tara Secondary College for 18 months and have provided a Guidance service to some of the local small schools over the years. I love being a Guidance Officer and feel so privilege to be in the position – to be able to support students and families through the toughest of times and to celebrate the wins and accomplishments of students makes for a very rewarding job. I love to be able to make a positive impact on the lives of the young people I work with and to help them to achieve their desired outcomes.
Mr Thomson presenting our GOs with a Certificate of Appreciation
Fudooka Exchange
We are happy to announce that after a break of three years due to COVID, our sister school, Fudooka Senior High School in Japan is coming to visit us from 29th July to 4th August. We have a group of twenty senior high school students and two teachers visiting. They will be participating in a variety of school and community activities in Week 4 of Term 3. It will be a great opportunity for them to mingle with our students and for us to showcase our wonderful school.
Part of this cultural exchange program involves the Japanese students living with a Kingaroy student and their family. This is a great opportunity for them to experience first hand our way of life and to form life-long friendships. We are looking for families willing to host a Japanese student during this time. All you need to do is provide them with their own room and bring them to school with your child. Blue cards are essential but the school can organise these for you. If you are interested or would like more information, please get in touch with Mrs Anna Vogelaar on avoge7@eq.edu.au.
Register your interest: Year 12 exam invigilators
The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) welcomes early registrations of interest from community members who would like to work as invigilators at Year 12 exams being held in schools throughout Queensland in October and November. These are paid positions. Invigilators must be over 18 years old, eligible to work in Australia and hold a current paid blue card, or exemption card, or a Queensland College of Teachers registration.
Register your interest now and get notified when applications open in early June. By organising your documentation early, you'll be ready to apply straight away. Visit the QCAA website to find out more and register your interest.
Wakka Wakka Language
Wanda-nin- janande- How are you going?
With assistance from a KSHS parent, we are very excited to be able to start sharing some Wakka Wakka language with you in our newsletter. The language we are sharing has been sourced from the Linguistic Survey of South-East Queensland, by Nils M Holmer.
Murun = Group
Murunbam = Group of people.
Health News
World Asthma Day is on Tuesday, 2nd May 2023. About 1 in 9 Australians have asthma so there is a good chance that you know someone who has it.
Asthma affects the airways (tubes that carry air to the lungs) by causing the airways to become narrower and harder to breathe due to tightening of muscles, inflammation of airways and mucous production in the airways.
Common symptoms of asthma include:
• Wheezing – a high pitched sound coming from the chest while breathing
• Feeling as though unable to get enough air or being short of breath
• Feeling a tightness in the chest
• Coughing
Asthma does not have a cure but can be managed to make living with asthma easier. If you have asthma:
• Discuss with your doctor about organising an Asthma Action Plan so you know how to manage your asthma if you are well, not well or if your symptoms worsen.
• Carry your preventive inhaler with you, if you have one.
• Use a spacer with your inhaler as it is a lot more effective. This short video shows how to use a spacer correctly.
For further information go to https://www.nationalasthma.org.au/understanding-asthma
Selena Stevens, School Based Youth Health Nurse
Community News
