Cnr of Gowan Rd and Illaweena StStretton QLD 4116Subscribe:Subscribe: https://strettonsc.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email:Email: admin@strettonsc.eq.edu.auPhone:Phone: 07 3723 0222

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25 July 201925 July 2019

Executive Principal NewsDo your little bit of good where you are. It’sthose little bits of good all put together that

can overwhelm the world.

Desmond Tutu

Welcome back to our wonderful Strettoncommunity for Term 3.

As I walk through the playground, I’mseeing students talking, laughing, kicking footballs, playinghandball, having animated conversations, and just having lots offun during their break time. What a joy to behold! I’m no longerseeing students in silent non-communicative groups peeringdown at their screens. Students are telling me that their ‘screen’time is down for the week, and their battery charge is up! Greatnews for our students. I am so immensely proud of the way inwhich our students have embraced our new cyber safety policyaround the use of mobile phones during the school day.Without a doubt, studies are showing increasingly disturbingtrends about the significant toll on our nervous system that canoccur through the hyper-connected, social-media stimulus-richlives we lead. We believe that reducing access to mobilephones throughout the school day is one way in which we canprovide an antidote to some concerning trends in this area.

Our new policy dovetails seamlessly into our beliefs aroundwellbeing, that it should be sought, taught and caught by thestudents in our care, if we ourselves are authentically livingand role-modelling the concepts. We prioritize and value thewellbeing of the students and staff in our care at Stretton, andtogether we believe that we can enable and empower everyoneon their personal journey towards becoming the best versionof themselves. Our new social media policy regarding mobile

phone usage during the school day, is just one way in which weare achieving this goal.

I congratulate the students on the way inwhich they have led and embraced thissignificant change. Throughout theprocess, I have seen many of their individual characterstrengths ‘dialled’ up and in action. We talk a lot to our studentsand staff about the 24 character strengths with the goal ofhelping make our lives more fulfilled and flourishing. Learningabout our character strengths is learning more about whatdefines you as a person worthy of respect, love andappreciation and how you can use those positive elements ofwho you are to improve your sense of well-being in yourrelationships, and even your community. I have witnessedstudents displaying the strengths of perseverance, honesty,zest, kindness, social intelligence, perspective fairness,teamwork and leadership just to name a few throughout theroll-out of this change initiative.

Research studies have shown that the common language ofcharacter strengths helps us to manage problems moreeffectively and has been linked with reduced stress, improvedcoping in the workplace, less classroom and test anxiety and ofcourse greater self-understanding.

I am propelled by my three highest strengths:Love, Creativity and Honesty. These comeforth in my work with children, leadership,colleagues, and of course, especially with myfriends and family. Love is the fuel thatconnects me with others. It drives every action of mine, and is aconstant source and strength for me in my personal andprofessional life. Love as a character strength refers to thedegree to which you value close relationships with people, andcontribute to that closeness in a warm and genuine way.Creativity is thinking of new ways to do things! What schoolleader doesn’t need to embrace that quality? What really

distinguishes a creative person is their tendency to approachnew dilemmas with a commitment to trying new solutions. Ithink this should be in the DNA of all school Principals! Honestyas a strength shows up best in situations where the decisionmust be made between the easy thing to do and the ‘right’thing to do. Another strength vital for the leader of anyorganization.

You might like to map your own personal profile of strengths bytaking the VIA Survey of Strengths.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj8jfvrn8DjAhV9IbcAHUOyBBoQFjACegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.viacharacter.org%2F&usg=AOvVaw2eOcVU0P3B7KSFrKegv6Rl

This is one of several scientifically valid andfree strengths tests offered by the VIAInstitute on Character. You will then receiveyour profile of strengths from 1 – 24. Thisdisplays the rich tapestry of your character. Our characterstrengths are seeds to nurture, grow and be developed.

You will find it a very fascinating strengths-spotting exercise toundertake!

Until next time,Jan MarescaExecutive Principal

Illaweena Principal NewsWelcome back to another exciting term atStretton.

I trust that during the holidays you have hadtime to peruse your student’s report anddiscuss their results. It is essential that eachstudent reflects on their performance andsets goals for the term ahead. The parentteacher evening next Tuesday (30 July)

provides the perfect opportunity to discuss these goals withsubject teachers and to identify strategies which will assiststudents to achieve to their potential.

Staffing

We welcome the following staff to Stretton this Term:

At the end of last Term we farewelled the following staff:

Cybersafety Policy

Our Cybersafety Policy has been implemented this term withremarkable results. I thank and congratulate all families andparticularly our students for the way in which they haveembraced the new policy.

As I have explained to students on the weekly assemblies,the policy has been introduced to provide a safer schoolenvironment for students and to maximise the opportunities forstudents to focus on their studies.

Whilst we understand that some students need to carry mobilephones to ensure their safety on their way to and from school,we do insist that phones disappear from sight once studentsenter the gates. Access to mobile phones is permitted at 2.45pm which is the end of instruction.

Attendance

Thank you to our families who continue to insist on our studentsattending school every day. Research reveals that higherattendance rates often results in higher achievement.

The information below reveals the improvement in ourattendance rates. Please continue to make contact with theCollege should you have any enquiries regarding attendance.

Attendance Comparison Illaweena Semester 1 2017

-2019

2017 2018 2019

Year 7 92.70% 93.70% 93.30%

Year 8 91.40% 92.00% 93.20%

Year 9 90.90% 91.00% 91.70%

Year 10 90.70% 87.90% 91.10%

Year 11 92.40% 90.20% 91.80%

Year 12 91.90% 92.40% 92.30%

Campus 91.67% 91.20% 92.23%

Meryl JohnstonIllaweena Campus Principal

• Dan Michael - Year 11 and 12 Deputy Principal

• Martin Begbie - Mathematics (who returns fromleave)

• Sacha Smedley - Humanities and English

• Teresa McDonald - Special Education

• Carla Pantano - Year 11 and 12 Deputy Principal

• Lai Blakelock Toma - on leave

• Kristina McColm

• Tracey Rostron

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Gowan Principal NewsThank you so much to the Stretton CollegeFamily for the warm welcome I havereceived this Term. I am very much lookingforward to working with the fabulous teamof staff and students here on the GowanCampus. My focus for the near future is tomeet and interact with as many keystakeholders as possible, so please feel free

to pop in and say ‘hello’.

SCHOOL REVIEW

Term 3 is commencing in a busy way. This week, the entireCollege has undertaken a School Review. This was conductedby a panel formulated by the Department’s SchoolImprovement Unit. The purpose of this review is to highlight thewonderful work that has been done over the past four yearsand to provide direction as we enter our next phase of forwardplanning. You may see members of the review panel around theschool grounds between Monday and Thursday of this week,please feel free to converse with them if you wish.

COLLEGE LIFE

At Stretton State College we are very conscious of ourresponsibility for educating the ‘whole’ individual child fromPrep to Year 12. It is very clear that our College providespassionate and committed staff who aim to meet everystudent’s potential throughout each phase of schooling. I knowfirst-hand that our staff offer an enormous array of assistanceand extracurricular activities to support the development of theindividual child – academic, sporting, musical, emotional andsocial. I am continually amazed by the diversity of programsprovided to the students of this school.

Could I encourage parents and carers to stay informed viaour College Facebook page, newsletters and calendars? Thereare numerous events for students and parents to note, alongwith celebrations and sharing opportunities on offer. The visualarticles and photographs shared in these forums provide a wayto view the many features of learning at Stretton State College.

PARENT PARTNERSHIPS

Parent/teacher interviews took place on Tuesday evening. Itwas fantastic to see so many of our families participate inthis partnership between home and school. 1046 interviewswere booked for Tuesday evening, which was an outstandingopportunity to interact with these key stakeholders! Parentalengagement overrides all other factors that have been shownto influence a child’s achievement. It is therefore critical thatteachers and parents develop effective relationships to bridgestudent learning between home and school.

Should you wish to discuss your child’s progress at any time,please make sure to contact the classroom teacher to organisea mutually convenient time.

I look forward to working with you over the coming terms.

Lauren SturgesGowan Campus Principal

Year 11, 12 Deputy Principal NewsI would like to extend my gratitude to thestaff, students and parents of Stretton StateCollege for the warm welcome I’ve receivedthis Term. I’m excited to begin a newjourney as Deputy Principal for Year 11 and12 and I look forward to working witheveryone in the wider Stretton Communityto facilitate optimal educational outcomes

for our senior students. A little about me…

I began my teaching career at Browns Plains State High Schoolin 2002 as a HPE and English teacher. In 2010, I became Headof Department for HPE at Browns Plains, and also worked formany years as the District review panel chair for Senior PEin Brisbane South. In 2016, I began work for the QueenslandCurriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) working onexternal assessment projects and more recently, theimplementation of the new PE General syllabus and processesfor the new QCE system currently being implemented withYear 11 students across Queensland. Health and PhysicalEducation, continues to be a passion of mine as I continueto be involved as a committee member on the Qld branchfor the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education andRecreation. I am passionate about life-long learning, health andwell-being and giving back to my community. Through myleadership at Stretton, I hope to instil these values in others.

I’d like to congratulate our wonderful Year 12 cohort on anexceptional effort in Semester 1 and hope that they’ve had anenjoyable and relaxing mid-year break, ready to head into theirfinal Semester of schooling. I am eager to get to know all of ourYear 12 students, and work closely with them, as they reflecton their Semester 1 report cards and set goals for an importantfinal Semester.

Year 11 students at Stretton have now completed Unit 1 oftheir Senior Secondary schooling qualification and have welland truly begun their journey towards obtaining a QueenslandCertificate of Education (QCE). I congratulate all of our Year 11students for their efforts in Unit 1 and look forward to seeingsome of their amazing work so far.

In the coming weeks, our Year 10 students will be workingin class to complete their Senior Education & Training (SET)Plans. Completing a SET Plan is a vital step for our students inselecting subjects for Year 11 and 12 and pathways towardsa career or tertiary study. The SET Plan is completed by thestudent and agreed to by parents/carers and the school. Itis not a stagnant document and should be reviewed regularlyas a student’s circumstances change. I encourage all Year10 students to carefully consider their abilities, interests andambitions as they complete their SET Plans to map out what,where and how they will study over the next 2 and a half years.It is important that students work with their parents/carers andteachers to complete this important process.

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I look forward to working closely with all members of ourStretton Community and hope to meet many of you at theparent teacher interviews on Tuesday 30 July.

Dan MichaelYear 11, 12 Deputy Principal

Year 9, 10 Deputy Principal NewsThis Term starts with a Careers Expo whichwill be held on Wednesday 24 July. Thankyou to all of our families who attended ourCareers Expo and engaged with theindustry representatives. Throughout theTerm our Year 10 students will continue toengage in Stretton’s Career Guidanceprogram including subject selection,

opportunities to attend information sessions and the finalisationdocumentation for the 2020 school year.

Year 9 and 10 students who wish to change subjects for thisTerm will need to have this finalised before Friday 26 July.Keeping our focus on improving attendance through; everystudent, in every lesson, every day will further improve ourstudents’ academic results and their post school opportunities.

Our Junior and Senior assemblies now include anacknowledgement of culture as part of the weekly routine. Thisis an opportunity for our students to present an aspect oftheir family culture as part of our school assemblies. Studentswill be given an opportunity to address the assembly in theirfamily’s traditional language and present some photos thatreflect their family’s history. To support students who are notfluent in their families traditional language, students will have thechoice to give a short welcome to the parade or if they wisha longer informative speech. This initiative is about supportingthe diversity of students at Stretton State College through theacknowledgement of the many cultures that make up ourcommunity.

The Stretton Australian Outback Adventure is nearly here,students from Year 8 and 9 will be heading off on Sunday13 October for a week of True Blue Aussie adventure. Finalpayments and information sessions will happen early next Termin preparation for the tour. If your student has not receiveddocumentation and would like to be part of this once in a lifetime opportunity they can see Mr Tregea for further information.The next payment for students who are currently booked toattend the tour is due in the first week of August, with the finalpayment due in the first week of September.

I look forward to engaging with the Year 9 and 10 studentsthrough the many events scheduled in the school calendar thisterm.

Norm TregeaYear 9, 10 Deputy Principal

Year 7 Deputy Principal NewsI would like to welcome students andparents back to Term 3. This is a good timeto for students to reflect upon what workedwell in Semester 1, particularly in relation toassessment results provided in theSemester 1 Report Card. In Week 3, theIllaweena campus will be holding parent/teacher interviews, and we encourage all

parents to book in with their respective teachers to gainvaluable feedback on their child’s Semester 1 results. This timeof Term is also a good time for students to re-establish positivestudy habits and set goals related to their schooling.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy(NAPLAN) tests for students in Years 3, 5, 7, and 9 aredesigned to assess the skills of Australian students in literacyand numeracy. Throughout 2020 to 2021, Queensland schoolswill move to NAPLAN Online, which will provide betterassessment, more precise results and faster turnaround ofinformation.

In preparation of NAPLAN Online, schools will undertake areadiness test to prepare students for the new online testingenvironment. In advance of taking NAPLAN Online, students,teachers and parents are invited to use the publicdemonstration tests to familiarise themselves with the type ofquestions and related functionalities available in the NAPLANOnline assessment.

The link below is to the NAPLAN Online public demonstrationsite, and we encourage students and parents alike to have alook at the resources and tools provided in this website.

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Further information will be provided to families as the schoolprepares for the school readiness test.

Brad StewartYear 7 Deputy Principal

Year 5, 6 Deputy Principal NewsAt the end of last Term, our Year 5 and 6classes opened their doors and welcomedfamilies in to explore the learning that hasoccurred across Term 2. We had anoutstanding turn out with classroomsbursting at the seams with visitors! Classeshosted a range of activities for parents suchas creating their own art projects, getting

involved in some physical activity, hosting a Getaway holidaystand, introducing parents to class routines, and sharing someof their presentations from across the Term. It was a wonderfulday for students, teachers and families and we look forward toengaging in more fun later this Term.

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Mindfulness Mondays

On Monday, our College Captains ran a “Mindfulness &Meditation” session with our Year 3 students. In line withPositive Education, the captains prepared a range of activitiesto teach the students about being mindful. The students learntabout the past, present and future, and how using our fivesenses in the present help us to be mindful. The captains alsotaught our students about what happens in our minds whenwe start to feel stressed, angry, frustrated, and how meditationand breathing can help us to calm. The students made classcalming jars and practised their mindful breathing. It was awonderful afternoon kicking off our first “Mindful Monday”.

Lauren HighmanYear 5, 6 Deputy Principal

Year 3, 4 Deputy Principal NewsThe last week of Term 2 saw Year 3 and 4teachers and students open theirclassrooms to our families in the interests ofsharing all the wonderful learning thatoccurred over a productive Term.Classrooms were a buzz with studentspresenting dramatic performances ofprocedures and traditional tales, creative art

work that any professional artist would be proud of andengaging, imaginative writing. It was heart-warming to seeparents challenging themselves to succeed at the Year 4s’Force Games in Science and to outplay their children in financialgames in Year 3 while also getting a taste of the creative,meaningful ways our talented teachers develop newunderstanding and skills every day in our classrooms. Thankyou to all those involved in making our Open Classrooms asuccess.

Year 3/4 Gardening & Cooking Club Update

We had an exciting last week in the garden before our recentJune holidays with the arrival of some buzzy little helpers and aharvest of vegetables to share with our families.

In Year 3 and 4 Science, we learnt about the features of livingthings, life cycles and how living things depend on each otherto survive. It was therefore with much excitement that wewelcomed a second native bee hive into our new garden area.We extend our sincere gratitude to Tony and Gemma Wong,Stretton grandparents, for their generous donation andexplanations of how the native bee hive operates. Wediscussed with our gardeners how the bees will assist withpollination of our fruit and vegetables, and increase crops whilealso supporting the biodiversity of the surrounding environment.

Our hard working gardeners started their holidays by sharinga harvest of silverbeet, bok choy, fresh herbs and a few earlyzucchinis with their families. We have returned from the holidaysto find our vegetables have doubled in size and are ready foruse by this Term’s Cooking Club.

This Term we will continue to make good use of our LandcareGrant to increase the number of garden beds, plant fruit treesand install a garden shed. Our Year 4 gardeners will alsoeducate their peers on our sustainable gardening practicesof worm farming and composting as part of our HASS(Geography) unit on sustainability.

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Judy Rose-CooperYear 3 and 4 Deputy Principal

Year 1, 2 Deputy Principal NewsIt has been a productive fortnight in Year 1and 2. A warm welcome to our new familiesand also to new staff in our sector.

Year 1 Humanities and SocialScience

Our Year 1 classes are enjoying their newunits for Science and HASS. They are

especially enjoying taking their learning outdoors and observingthe day sky (science) and natural and managed features(HASS).

Yummy Pikelets in Year 2

2K loved learning to follow a recipe procedure to make deliciouspikelets in class. They especially enjoyed eating them! This reallife learning is assisting them with their English unit of writingprocedures.

2H Interviews on Assembly

Max, Lara, Hunter and Megan enjoyed testing their interviewquestioning by asking some questions to our four Year 12students who recently competed in the Kokoda Challenge.The four students enjoyed preparing their questions and thenfronting assembly on Monday to learn more about why the boysparticipated, how they planned and prepared, what they ate

while participating and how they knew the directions of whereto walk.

Science Club

This week in Science club students enjoyed making RainbowWalking Water (learning how primary colours mix to makesecondary colours) and also learnt about how paper towelsabsorb liquid.

Year 2 SeaWorld Excursion

On Sunday, a group of Year 2 teachers (the planningcommittee) attended SeaWorld in preparations for ourupcoming excursion on 26 August. A reminded to Year 2families to finalise payment ($43, or $18 if you hold a SeaWorldPass) to the office by 16 August. Please also ensure that yourchild has an excursion bag ready to pack their lunch, waterbottle, hat and sunscreen.

Wuanita MeyrickDeputy Principal – Year 1, 2

Prep Deputy Principal NewsWe welcomed back very enthusiastic andexcited young learners to our Prepclassrooms. What a great first week it waswith 100 days of school celebrations andOpen Classrooms. Mrs Sturges enjoyed a‘100 day’ biscuit from Layla tocommemorate 100 days of school!!!

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Communicating our curriculum and learning goals for Term 3is important. Open classrooms are a great way to connectwith our families and continue to build strong partnerships. I’dencourage all families to check their emails for class weeklynewsletters and important dates, photos and activities to doat home. Term 3 has several key events that parents andcommunity can be involved in. We wouldn’t want you to missout!!! Don’t forget to join us at our Prep to Year 2 Assemblyeach fortnight (even weeks) to celebrate student achievement,attendance and hear more about our Gowan Campus Term 3events!

Prep Gardens

Our Prep garden beds are all set up for inquiry andinvestigation! A huge thank you to our groundsmen for fillingthe beds with soil. Each cottage will be assigned a garden bedto look after throughout the year. Watch this space for uniquethemes and special things to discover as the students takeownership of their design and care for plants.

Prep 2020 and Transition Classes

If your child was born between 01 July 2014 and 30 June2015 they are eligible for Prep in January 2020. Families areencouraged to enrol early for 2020 to ensure you receiveinformation on our Pre-Prep transition and Open days. OurEarly Years team will be visiting local Early Childhood Centresto engage in a network to support a successful transition toschool. Confirmation to our Transition classes have now beensent out to families by email. Our FRIDAY classes are filled tocapacity. There are limited spaces still available for Thursday.We are very excited to welcome our future students to ourCollege and build relationships with our families to support asuccessful transition to school. Our 10-week program engagesthe children in hands-on learning so they feel confident, safeand excited about coming to ‘big school’. A reminder thatonce your enrolment papers are completed, you will receive aninvitation email to join our Transition class. Once expression ofinterest is accepted by return email, you will be contacted byour Head of Department with the program information.

SAVE THE DATE!!!! Grandparents Day 2019

Grandparents Day will be held on Monday, September 9.Grandparents will be invited to visit Prep to Year 6 classroomsand join in various activities. Watch out for more details in yourclass newsletters and on Facebook!

Terra-Lee PetersPrep Deputy Principal

Senior SchoolingThis is going to be a very busy time for Senior schooling andstudents so please make sure that students are staying ontop of emails and notices. We have Parent Teacher Interviews,Career Expo, Set Planning, QCS and the release ofApprenticeships for 2020, just to name few.

Congratulations

We have much to celebrate in Senior Schooling. Our amazingteam of Declan Lau, Bailey Little, Andre Stock, William Tortoand the amazing Mr Parker competed in the Kokoda SchoolsChallenge at the Gold Coast, hiking 48kms through the GoldCoast Hinterland in approximately 10 hours. Congratulationsgentlemen on your amazing effort and creating a legacy here atStretton.

Thank you to those students who participated in the RivieraInformation night at Coomera. The students I have spokento have said that it was an amazing experience and havealready submitted resumes for both school based and fulltimeplacements for 2020 in the Marine Industry. A number ofstudents completed work experience and signed traineeshipslast term and also over the holidays. This is fantastic and thosestudents are well on their way to their post schooling pathways.

YEAR 12 QCS PROGRAM

We are on the downhill run for the QCS Test which studentswill take part in during Week 8 this Term. Master Classes beginthis week and will take place in Weeks 2, 4 and 6. A reminderthat QCS students are expected to take part in all aspectsof the program including Master classes as per the Collegeexpectations for Senior students. Students are currentlyreceiving feedback on the practice tests they participated inbefore the holidays from external markers. Students need to beengaged and bring the required equipment for all the remainingQCS sessions.

OP INTERVIEWS

Students receiving an OP will soon have their interviews aroundtheir current results from Semester 1. These will begin towardsthe end of Week 2 and into Week 3. Students are reminded thatthey need to make sure they are on time for their appointmentsand know where they are being held. You will receive anappointment slip for this. If you are unable to attend you mustemail your interviewer and reschedule a new time.

DESTINATION INTERVIEWS

All Non OP students will soon start their destination interviewswith the HOD Senior Schooling. These interviews are designedto ensure that ALL students have a pathway post Year 12 andoffer access to getting help with resume writing, cover letters aswell as opportunities for courses, apprenticeships, traineeshipsor work for 2020. Students will be allocated interview times nextTerm to undertake this process.

YEAR 10

Time to start engaging in the process for your pathway inSenior Schooling and making sure you have completed all yourpreliminary work in the lead up for your SET Plan interview.

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Make sure that when you are looking at subjects that you alsolook at the prerequisites needed to be able to select thosesubjects as you may not be able to choose subjects that youdo not meet the prerequisites for. A reminder that as you planfor your senior phase of learning, that you consider the optionson offer for you. Non-ATAR students, consider the possibilityof Certificate courses, TAFE at Schools, traineeships etc. If youare interested in these areas, you need to make sure that youare meeting the school requirements of attendance, behaviourand effort to be able to go Off Campus. Do not forget we canalso discuss Work Experience, so make sure that you have acurrent resume and cover letter. If you need help with these,please come and visit us in Senior Schooling as we can help.

TRAINEESHIPS AND APPRENTICESHIPS

Plenty of Traineeships and Apprenticeships are starting tocome through for Year 10 and 11 students. Next Term willsee the release of full time placements for 2020 for Year 12students. Make sure if you are interested that you have yourresumes up to date and that you are reading your emailscarefully- you don’t want to miss out!

Remember just because your pathway is different- does notmean that it is wrong!

Vanessa GarvieHead of Department Senior Schooling

Positive Education

WHAT?

Compassion involves an authentic desire to help others.

WHY?

We can assume that there is pain in every workplace/school.Pain colours the way we think, feel and perform at work/school.When you practice compassion you’re likely to improve yourresilience and adaptability in the face of change, be moreengaged and committed to your organisation, have betterrelationships with your colleague/students and perform at ahighter level.

READ

WATCH

https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_on_compassion/discussion?nolanguage=he1

LISTEN

https://www.michellemcquaid.com/podcast/is-compassion-the-key-to-success-podcast-with-chris-kukk/

TRY

Notice the pain in the room

Many people feel embarrassed or ashamedto talk about what’s causing them pain sowhen you get to work each morning, takethe time to look around at your colleaguesand notice if there are changes in people’susual behaviour and if anyone seems to be in pain or sufferingand simply ask ‘Are you OK?’

Listen Empathetically

When someone is telling you about adifficult situation, give them your fullattention without interrupting or feeling youneed to jump in with advice or to try and fixor solve their problem. Try to be aware, non-judgmental andcurious about their story. Approach the conversation with noother goal than improving your relationship and understandingof what’s happening.

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Offer Micro-Moves

Small actions or gestures don’t have to takea lot of time or energy but can make a hugedifference in helping someone feel like theirsuffering is acknowledged. It might beoffering to help with their workload, checking in with them tosee if they are managing OK or making them a cup of coffee orbringing them lunch to brighten their day.

Positive Education Team

Guidance OfficerQTAC interviews with the Guidance Officer will start up againin Week 2 and continue through to Week 10. Students willbe sent a reminder email with their allocated time. Interviewsare mandatory; OP eligible students have the responsibility toattend their interview or reschedule via email or in person.

Thank you to all of our families who attended the career Expothis week. It was fantastic to see so many of our familiesengaged with Industry Representatives.

Supporting your young with the Ups and Downs of friendships:

It is not always easy for children to know how to managefriendships. Problems with friends can affect how children feelabout themselves and their enthusiasm for activities that involveothers. Parents can help children learn the kinds of friendshipskills they will need as they grow and develop.

Learning how to make and keep friends involves a number ofskills. Children learn more and more complex social skills fromthose around them as they develop.

How can we Help?

When problems arise in friendships, it is important not to blamechildren but to show them how to find a solution. Here are afew tips:

Yanina BriffaGuidance Officer

RoboticsOn Saturday 20 July, five of our Year 9 students competed inthe Brisbane Regional RoboCup competition held at SomervilleHouse, South Brisbane. There were three different challengeswithin the competition, On Stage, Rescue and Soccer. Ourstudents, Kartik, Neel, Jocelyn, Minh, and Neel participated inthe Rescue competition for Secondary aged students. Rescuewas based on the scenario of rescuing the “the victim” froma chemical spill. To rescue “the victim” the students have tocreate an autonomous robot and program it. The robot has tofollow a winding line, go up and down ramps, and negotiatevarious obstacles encountered along the way.

The students have been working hard throughout Term 2. Theyhave spent every Wednesday afternoon after school and someof the recent school holidays preparing for this competition.They have had to solve many problems along the way andon the day of the competition had to draw on a number oftheir character strengths including creativity, perseverance andteamwork as they continued to refine their robot and codethroughout the day and participate in the various rounds.Thirty-seven teams competed in the Secondary Rescuecompetition.

Deborah HarrisHead of Department eLearning

The ArtsThe Arts as well as being a wonderful celebration of studentperformances, exhibitions and productions is also one of ourmajor areas of curriculum that offer students development inareas and ways that other subjects cannot.

At this time of year when students on our Illaweena Campusare considering their options with subject selection and SetPlanning just around the corner, choosing one of the Arts as apart of a subject suite can be both personally and academicallyrewarding for our creative and aspiring young artists.

The following information is a snippet of information that will beprovided to interested students and parents regarding the Artsin Senior. It includes Senior Visual Arts; Visual Arts in Practice;Senior Music and Music Extension; Film, Television and NewMedia and Senior Drama.

1. Finding the right ‘Tribe” (Friendship screening, findingfriends that treat each other as equals and shareinterests)

2. Smile - It is contagious

3. Ask questions (Role play, practice makes perfect)

4. Invite/Join – For a friendship to begin, someoneneeds to take action – discuss ‘low-risk’ invitationse.g ‘want to play handball at lunch?’

5. Share

6. Be happy for friends victories

7. Develop coping strategies for difficult emotions(anger/sadness)

8. Practice kindness

9. Check back with your child to see how things turnedout.

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Leona DangaardHead of Department – The Arts

Illaweena Library NewsThis Term focuses on a number of events the students canengage in around reading and authorship.

Books and Beyond Book Club members meet every secondFriday during First Break starting Week 1. Students sharewhat’s new, recommend titles and share their love of readingwith other like-minded bibliophiles. In Week 3 they will bewelcoming Mrs Wendy Reilly who will be sharing all thingsFantasy and students will have the opportunity to select booksfor the Library shelves.

The inaugural Writer’s Retreat will take place on August 5 atNuminbah Valley for two nights where students will use natureto inspire their creative minds. A special guest poet has beenorganized to guide students through the writing poetry process.Interested students can see Mrs Kapa or Mrs Seed for furtherinformation

Children’s Book Week will be celebrated on 17 to 23 August2019 and were anxiously awaiting the winner of the bestchildren’s book published in Australia for 2018. The theme ofthis year’s event will be “Reading is My Secret Power”.

https://www.cbca.org.au/

The Brisbane Writer’s Festival is always a fantastic school trip.A small group of 17 students will be attending a one dayseminar where authors share their tips and tricks as well astheir motivations for writing young adult fiction. Students needto confirm their attendance on September 4 with Mrs Kapa.

https://bwf.org.au/

Maria KapaTeacher Librarian

Gowan Library News

Book Week 2019

This Term we will be celebrating CBCA Book Week. BookWeek at Stretton will be from 26 to 30 August. The theme thisyear is ‘Reading is my Secret Power’.

We will be having our annual Gowan Book Week CostumeParade on Thursday 29 August. This year there will be threeparades as follows:

Prep and Year 1: 9.00amYears 2 and 3: 10.00amYears 4, 5 and 6: 11.30am

It is always impressive at how our Stretton students put somuch effort and creativity into representing their favourite bookcharacters. There will be various prizes for the most creativeand original costumes.

Book Club

The latest Scholastic Book Club catalogue is now out. A friendlyreminder that we no longer accept cash orders. You can placeyour order online via the Scholastic Loop website:

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Register.aspx

Orders must be placed by 5 August

Sara EffronTeacher Librarian (Gowan Campus)

Kokoda Youth Challenge Gold Coast 2019This year Stretton entered their very firstteam in the 2019 Kokoda Youth Challengeon the Gold Coast. Mr Jake Parker, alongwith four Year 12 students; Declan Lau, Bailey Little, AndreStock and William Torto took on the Jim Stillman's 39thBattalion 48km 33 Hours School cup on the Gold Coast 20-21July, 2019. They tackled Australia's toughest team enduranceevent to change lives of Australian Teens.

They aimed to spread awareness of the heroic defence ofAustralia against imminent invasion and the spirit of our youngsoldiers, instilling the Kokoda values of Courage, Endurance,Mateship and Sacrifice into the community of today.

The Spirit of Kokoda demonstrates that when we worktogether, look out for each other, and show commitment toa task, things that at first seem impossible, suddenly becomeachievable.

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Here are some photos of the Kokoda Challenge students inaction, and although the event is not primarily a competition,team Stretton placed 20th out of 157 teams. This is anoutstanding achievement.

Throughout the journey the students completely lived the valuesof the Kokoda Challenge:

COURAGE - To step outside your comfort zone andstand up for what's important.ENDURANCE – To stay the journey and never give up.MATESHIP – To act with integrity, embrace diversity andhave each other’s back.SACRIFICE – To serve a cause greater than itself.

These students certainly played homage to the Australiantroops from the 39th Militia and 2nd/14th Battalion whofollowed the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea (PNG) in1942, during World War II.

We are so proud of the determination and spirit of thiswonderful group of Year 12 students and their dedicatedteacher, Mr Jake Parker. Thank you to all the teachers whohave helped and supported the group along the way, our P&C,the Lau and Stewart families for going above and beyond, andto our wonderful Year 12 coordinator, Mrs Allison Smith for thefood preparation for this endurance event and Stephen Mitchellwho strapped their feet for this endurance event.

Sports NewsCongratulations to the Year 8 Rugby League boys who wonconvincingly against Woodridge State High School onWednesday afternoon. The boys now proceed to playing aknockout final against Marsden State High School in theBroncos Renouf Shield. This Year 8 team is now one of the topten teams in South East Queensland!

Sports Fun Day

P-3 Sports Fun Day

On Tuesday 25 June students in Prep, Year 1, Year 2 and Year3 participated in our Prep to Year 3 Sports Fun Day. With adelayed start to our day with rain we still managed to run allevents for all Year levels across the day. It was great to seeour students outside having fun and participating in the manyfun and exciting athletic activities. All of the students had agreat time running, throwing, jumping and student’s favouriteTug of war. A big thank you to our energetic Teacher Aidesand students from 6A, 6C and 5A for running the activities onthe day. It was also great to see so many parents and familymembers coming along to watch – and even join in!!

Rachel NoblePE Teacher

Lost PropertyWe have quite a collection of lost glasses on our GowanCampus. These include both prescription glasses andsunglasses. If you have lost or misplaced glasses please seethe office staff in the Gowan Administration office.

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Community Bilboard

Lions FC – After School Program

The Smith Family News

With increasing financial pressure on families, the Saver PlusProgram has proven to be a great way to help by providing$500 towards school costs as well as offering budgetingeducation and support.

In particular, we are seeing a marked increase in families usingthis assistance for essential items such as Laptops and IPads.

The aim of the program is for participants to achieve a savingsgoal of $500, which is then matched by a further $500 perfamily which must be spent on education expenses. SaverPlus is funded by the Federal Government and is delivered bycommunity organisations across Australia.

Over 40,000 families have received $500 in matched savings toassist with costs such as:

Calamvale Special School Spring Fair

Browns Plains Police Junior Blue Light Disco

The next Browns Plains Police Blue Light Disco for 2019 is onFriday 2 August 2019

• School Uniforms and shoes

• Text Books and Stationary needs

• School Camps and excursions

• Sporting, Art, Dance or Music fees

• Laptops or IPads

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