2024 Kingaroy Highlights #13
Principal's Message
Senior Schooling
Year 12
Earlier this week, students were emailed their Mock Exam timetable. It is an expectation that all students are at school during this time, finalising assessment in General and Applied subjects and completing the last of their VET competencies. Students will come out of class to attend their Mock exams. The intention of these exams is for students to have the same experience that they will have during their External Exams in Term 4. Students can prepare themselves by planning ahead for each exam session, making sure that they are well rested and prepared.
Students were emailed a list of acceptable exam equipment, should they require special equipment, they must contact their teachers.
Year 11
We are in the process of finalising the Year 11, Unit 2 Block Exam timetable, and will share it with students in the coming week.
Unit 2 Block Exams will go from Friday 6 September until Wednesday 2 October. Students are not expected to attend school unless they have an exam or catch-up session scheduled. There will be a study space for students who will need to attend.
During the block exam period, students are to be at home reviewing work, completing assignments and studying for their exams. It is not a time for extra work, with the exception of the school holiday break.
*PLEASE NOTE: All Year 11 Students return on Thursday 3 October.
Some useful information from QCAA about preparing for exams
Some useful information from QCAA about preparing for exams
Get organised
Organising yourself and your study space will make it easier to finish your tasks on time and not feel overwhelmed.
Organise yourself
- Create a study space that is free of distractions and has everything within reach.
- Keep a calendar on your wall and list the dates of your assessments.
- Get into a routine and set aside blocks of study time each day.
- Build 'free' time into each day for something you enjoy.
- Take regular breaks and move around to keep your mind and body healthy.
- Limit distractions such as social media.
- Allocate time each week to catch up with friends and family.
Organise your work
- Understand the correct way to approach assessment and maintain good academic habits.
- Look at the components of each task and how long they might take.
- Make a plan and allow for unexpected events such as technology issues (they will always happen!) or changes in personal circumstances.
- Divide each assessment task into smaller 30-minute tasks (essay plan, essay introduction, essay body, etc.) and slot these into your calendar.
AARAs
Students and parents are reminded that if they need to apply for an AARA (Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments) contact the school. This includes illness and misadventure. There is more information available about AARAs and what adjustments can be made here.
https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/assessment/aara/information-parents-carers
Mr Andrew Maddern
Deputy Principal, Educational Achievement - Senior Secondary
Year 12 Legal Studies - Mooting students stand their legal ground
Three Year 12 Legal Studies students participated in the QUT Mooting Competition at its Garden Point campus recently. Rory Scott (Senior Counsel), Izabella Grace (Junior Counsel), and Ella Vickery (Instructing Solicitor) formed one of thirty teams, the others mostly from Brisbane schools, who participated in the event this year. The legal brief was a case involving two assault charges, and the team had to argue from both the defence and prosecution sides in their two respective moots.
The first moot was against Clayfield College, and the second against a Brisbane Girls Grammar team, but unfortunately, we didn’t make it into the semi-finals. However, these three students represented Kingaroy SHS well, presenting their submissions, and providing answers to the judges’ questions. In addition, for two of the three students who hope to move into studying the law in one form or another in the future, it was an excellent taste of life in a courtroom.
A huge thank-you to the girls for their work and presentation in the competition, and to the parents who made it happen through their invaluable support for outside of school hours meetings, and the transport and accommodation required for the weekend away.
Ms Nerissa Maudsley
Legal Studies teacher
Wellbeing and Engagement
Year 10
MenB Vaccination Program
Year 10 students will receive their second dose of Meningococcal B vaccine on Monday August 26.
Year 9
School to Work
The School to Work Information night was held on August 7 in KPAC. The night was very well attended, however I am aware that not all parents/caregivers were able to attend. The School to Work Program is an alternative pathway for Year 10 students who would like to transition into the work force with Vocational Education Qualifications and Work Experience. Application packages, information and instructions were emailed out to all Year 9 parents/caregivers. The due date for applications is September 9.
Work Experience
While the school year is usually 40 weeks long, every now and then there has to be a 41-week year due to "natural calendar movement”. As a result, Term 4, 2024 becomes an 11-week term for Years 7, 8 and 9.
It has been decided that the Year 9 cohort at Kingaroy SHS will be participating in work experience in this final week of school. Students will be required to source their own work experience. With close to 200 students in Year 9, and most work experience placements expected to occur in the South Burnett, placements with Kingaroy businesses could be challenging. Please encourage your student to start looking now. More details are expected to come out in Week 8 this term.
The Department of Education ensures students attending an approved work experience placement are under a Contract of Insurance with WorkCover Queensland.
PBL (Positive Behaviour For Learning)
The uptake of the Kingaroy Merit Points has proven to have had profound impact on the tone of the school. Rewarding positive behaviour through KMPs, postcards home and contacts has made a difference. Fewer behavioural incidents are being reported across the school. The end of term tuckshop vouchers and end of year Reward Trips are no doubt enticing incentives.
Criteria for the Rewards Trips has been well advertised, and are dependent on student attendance, effort and behaviour.
- Attendance rate of 90% - start date will be Week 1 Term 2 (Monday 15 April 2024)
- No more than one suspension throughout the year
- All required assessment submitted by the end of Term 3
- This includes Certificate modules (VET) in Year 10
- School fees should be up to date
- If families are on a payment plan, then that plan will need to be up to date
- If families are on a payment plan, then that plan will need to be up to date
Mr Steve Perrett
Deputy Principal, Wellbeing and Engagement
Year 7 News
Kingaroy SS Connections
This week, Year 7 Deputy Principal Helen Maudsley and Year 7 student Annabelle visited Kingaroy State School to speak with the Year 6 students about what high school was like. Making the most of the opportunity, Ms Maudsley and Annabelle also took time to explain our Banish recycling project with the Year 6 students. We are hoping to work with the Year 6 students to collect more bottle lids, toothpaste tubes, used pens and pencils as well as single use coffee cups that can be recycled.
Questions asked by the Year 6 cohort included topics on uniform, subjects and electives, as well as where they go at breaks. Annabelle was an amazing ambassador and answered every question with aplomb.
The afternoon finished with us finding out what the KSS students do for their recycling project, the fact that they have raised over $2000 this year is an amazing accomplishment, through their fundraising efforts they were able to purchase some brand new footy posts. Annabelle then had the joyous task of picking the recycling winners for the week who got to collect fabulous prizes.
Thank you, Kingaroy SS, especially Mrs Fairbairn who helped us to organise the visit. We look forward to many more visits.
Ms Helen Maudsley
Deputy Principal
Sport News
South Burnett Athletics - Age Champions
At the recent South Burnett Athletics carnival, over eighty students from Kingaroy SHS showed outstanding form. Many students achieved personal bests, contributing to an event filled with fun, camaraderie, and the forging of new friendships. The following students were awarded Age Champion for the meet:
13 yrs Male – 3rd Sean May
14 yrs Female – 3rd Allison Baldwin
15 yrs Male – 2nd Ryan Mollenhauer
16 yrs Female - 1st Georgia Kapernick
16 yrs Male- 2nd Hamish Mungall
3rd Harvey Sawtell
17 yrs Female – 1st Chloe Brady
2nd Pauline Glare
3rd Abbie Sullivan
18 yrs Female – 1st Kinzie Campbell
2nd Ella Russell
18 yrs Male – 3rd Ethan Loveday
Congratulations to all our outstanding athletes!
Cricket Blast
Last Tuesday, six Year 7 students officiated the Primary Schools Cricket Blast at Taabinga State School. Students showed great responsibility and respect to all students, not only officiating effectively but also aiding in coaching and encouraging students. Well done team!
Ms Annette Bales
Sports Coordinator
Children's Book Week
Children's Book Week is Next Week!
We're excited to celebrate Children's Book Week with a special Free Dress Day on Friday, 23rd August! Come dressed as your favourite book character and join us in the fun! There will be a parade in Keith Middleton Court during first break, and we've got some awesome prizes for the best-dressed participants!
Don't forget to bring a gold coin donation to support our event.
Prime Minister's Spelling Bee
Clontarf News
Kingaroy Lions hold their heads high
The Kingaroy Clontarf Lions travelled to the Gold Coast to compete in the annual Clontarf Year 7 and Year 8 Beach Rugby carnival.
Over 150 boys attended the competition, which was played hard but fair. Kingaroy came away from the carnival with every player scoring a try and Keiran Fuller being awarded the Kingaroy Spirit Award.
Michael Brown
Director, Kingaroy Clontarf Academy
Health News
Online Gaming
Headspace states that young people engaging in play is normal and healthy and a part of daily life including playing games online. Online communities, at healthy levels, can help a young person to feel socially connected, have a sense of belonging, increase self-esteem and have social acceptance.
Video games can also impact a young person negatively when taken to the extreme and can impact on their social, health and wellbeing problems, which can include:
- Physical problems
- Sleep problems
- Mental health problems
- Lack of time for study, physical activity or face-to-face social interactions.
The Australian Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines (published by the Australian Department of Health) suggest that screen time should be limited to no more than two hours per day for 12-17 year olds. This generally doesn’t include purposeful screen time (activities that are interactive like work or school and in some cases gaming). The average weekly and daily screen time can be seen on most devices through the device’s settings.
Signs that your child might have problems with video gaming include:
- Withdrawing from friends and family
- Neglecting usual activities
- Performing worse at school
- Often feeling tired or not getting enough quality sleep
- Hiding or lying about how much they play
- Talking and thinking a lot about gaming
- Finding it hard to stop or limit play
- Experiencing ‘gamer rage’ – angry or aggressive behaviour while video gaming or when asked to take a break
If you are concerned about your young person’s online gaming, take the time to understand their gaming experience, what they like about it, the difficulties experienced, who they are playing with and the kinds of interactions they have. The Carly Ryan Foundation has resources that give a quick snapshot of some online games and social media sites and outline challenges, how to block users and increase privacy settings.
For more info:
Selena Stevens
School Based Youth Health Nurse
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