Age ChampionsStudents swimming for Age

Champion and Multi-Class Champion are required to swim in all the 25m, 50m 100m events; a massive ask and a great demonstration of the determination and fitness that our students have! Congratulations to the following students for receiving the most amount of individual points throughout the day:

Leichhardt Gives a High 5!!On February 6th, students showed their House Spirit as

they donned a vast array of themed costumes and freestyled or butterflied their way down the pool; all in the name of the Annual Interhouse Swimming Carnival.

Competition between Leichhardt and Cunningham Houses was extremely tight and changed numerous times throughout the day. Congratulations to Leichhardt House for being the victors of the day and for winning the carnival for their 5th year in a row.

Jackson Walker, Leichhardt House Captain, has thrown down the challenge to 2016 Leichhardt competitors: 6 in a row. If Leichhardt can achieve this feat, they will match Cunningham’s record of 6 wins in a row between 1989-1994.

AGE BOYS POINTS HOUSE GIRLS POINTS HOUSE

12 YEARS Takashi Mears 156 Kennedy Kelly Hampton 105 Fraser

13 YEARS Zackeri Joyce 137 Fraser Lilly Teese 105 Leichhardt

14 YEARS Kaleb Browne 154 Cunningham Kierston Cuskelly 154 Cunningham

15 YEARS Jared Cahill 141 Cunningham Roschanna Snow 162 Leichhardt

16 YEARS Andrew Scougall 139.5 Leichhardt Blaire Robinson 126 Leichhardt

OPEN Troy Benson 175 Cunningham Drew Binstead 144 Cunningham

MULTI-CLASS

Benjamin Madden (15 years) 137 Kennedy Kiandra Cumberland

(14 years) 175 Cunningham

PLACING HOUSE POINTS

1st Leichhardt 2429.5

2nd Cunningham 2394

3rd Fraser 1897

4th Kennedy 1255.5

Swimming Carnival

From the PrinciPal A Record Breaking Day!Five records were broken throughout the day; one record was broken 3 times in

the one race!

This year’s carnival was a special one as we had both the Year 7 and 8 cohorts competing in their first high school carnival and, more speciality events were introduced for our multi-class athletes. As a result, there were 27 new events; meaning 27 new records to be set! This was an exciting time for our juniors and multi-class athletes! Congratulations to the following students:

Name Event Time Breaking

Kiandra Cumberland #14 G MC 25m Freestyle 16.29 21.45 ; 2014

#3 13 B 25m Freestyle 13.91 14.88 ; 2014

Zackeri Joyce #22 13 B 50m Freestyle 30.44 30.48 ; 1996

#36 13 B 25m Breaststroke 18.16 19.61 ; 2004

Jeremy Smith #80 14 B 50m Butterfly 33.39 34.14 ; 2001

Event Time

#1 12 B 25m Freestyle 15.93

#20 12 B 50m Freestyle 35.29

#34 12 B 25m Breaststroke 25.61

#48 12 B 50m Breaststroke 56.85

#62 12 B 50m Backstroke 50.64

#76 12 B 50m Butterfly 51.12

#2 12 G 25m Freestyle 18.76

#35 12 G 25m Breaststroke 26.31

#15 B Junior 100m Freestyle 1,07.72

#16 G Junior 100m Freestyle 1,12.43

#21 12 G 50m Freestyle 44.03

#49 12 G 50m Breaststroke 1,01.74

#77 12 G 50m Butterfly 1,01.33

#63 12 G 50m Backstroke 56.39

#95 12 B Freestyle Relay 4,24.38

#96 12 G Freestyle Relay 4,31.59

#19 B & G MC 100m Freestyle 1,21.32

#33 G MC Open 50m Freestyle 37.27

#47 G MC Open 25m Breaststroke 24.31

#61 G MC Open 50m Breaststroke 52.34

#75 G MC Open 50m Backstroke 46.52

#89 G MC Open 50m Butterfly 40.80

#32 B MC Open 50m Freestyle 46.41

#46 B MC Open 25m Breaststroke 29.25

#60 B MC Open 50m Breaststroke 1,11.17

#74 B MC Open 50m Backstroke 1,39.16

#88 B MC Open 50m Butterfly 1,26.92

Name

Takashi Mears

Kelly Hampton

Kaleb Browne

Kierston Cuskelly

Emily Unterrheiner

Bella Keaveny

Jacinta Petrohilos

Cunningham

Kiandra Cumberland

Nathan Fletcher-Jones

Benjamin Madden

Off & Running in 2015...We have had a very positive start to the school year with

our student numbers hovering around 1560.

As the Principal of Beaudesert State High School, I am strongly focused on ensuring that each student has an opportunity to achieve their Personal Best. As such, I am committed to ensuring our school culture both models and promotes high expectations of learning and behaviour.

There is no substitute for hard work and the best advice I can give students and parents is:

Attendance, positive behaviour and full completion of class work, homework and assessment are the keys to achieving the best possible results for all students.

As a teacher and parent, I cannot stress enough how important a little bit of perseverance (not giving up) and hard work (setting aside study time at home) is in getting the best possible results. A weekly commitment to study and revision – by setting aside extra time at home - should be a priority for all students wanting to achieve success in their studies and in their lives beyond school.

To the students: I am convinced that your course of study at Beaudesert State High School will bring great benefits to you personally and professionally in the future. In the end success at school involves a healthy combination of hard work and commitment mixed with fun and enjoyment. I challenge each of you to make the most of 2015!

Alan Smith Principal

Youth Leadership DayOn the 18th of February, the Year 12 cohort came together to

learn about leadership and how to work as a team. We learnt this through various activities run by the fantastic team from Ylead. Unsure of what to expect, we were greeted by the enthusiastic team from Ylead and we all began to let go of any inhibitions almost immediately.

A highlight of the day was working together to get all of us from one side of a skipping rope to the other in less than seven seconds. We did such a fantastic job, breaking the record from last year. We each had the opportunity to step outside our comfort zones by performing crazy dance moves in front of each other, which made it easier to communicate with people we wouldn’t usually talk to. We were also given the opportunity to discuss how to tackle leadership and participation within our school and we agreed that teamwork was paramount to achieving many of our goals.

All in all, the 2015 Leadership Day was an extremely helpful and enjoyable experience that gave many of us the guidance we need to make this year a successful year for all.

Libby O’Brien (Year 12 Student)

MORE PHOTOS BACK PAGE

Power Trip of a LifetimeAt the end of last year, a number of our Year 11 female

students, entered an essay competition “Country to Canberra”. Country to Canberra aims to connect young women from rural areas with influential female politicians and executives to: “break down gender and geographical barriers to success”.

Two of our Year 11 Humanities students, Melissa Brown and Libby O’Brien, were chosen to have their essays published on the Country to Canberra website. Additionally, Libby O’Brien was selected to fly down to Canberra for the trip of a lifetime.

Libby connected with many influential female leaders, was interviewed on Breakfast Radio, toured Parliament House and met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop - a moment Libby will never forget.

The school would like to thank our local politicians for their support of this experience: Federal Member for Wright, Scott Buccholz; Member for Beaudesert, Jon Krause, and Cr. Jennifer Sanders.

QCE Achievement AwardsThe inaugural Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) Achievement Awards

ceremony was held on Saturday 28 February 2015. Hosted by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, this event recognised thirty-three Year 12 graduates from the class of 2014 who received prizes in six categories. These graduates achieved to an exceptionally high level on a statewide basis and against a range of measures. Their achievements highlight the impressive breadth and depth of learning occurring under the QCE.

Former Beaudesert State High School student, Michael Dunne, was recognised at the ceremony as a Distinguished Academic Achiever. At the school's Awards Night in November 2014, Michael gained a Gold Merit Award for outstanding academic

achievement. He also won subject awards for Physics, Chemistry, Japanese and Mathematics C.

School Principal, Mr Alan Smith, congratulated Michael on his recent award. “Michael is an exceptional learner, and shows great commitment and dedication to his studies. Michael is living proof of the school’s motto: Hard Work Conquers All.”

WICKEDOn the 25th of February 110 students travelled to QPAC, Southbank

(Brisbane) to experience the most awarded new musical and Broadway’s number one show, Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz. Awe-inspiring and spectacular, Wicked tells the enthralling story of two unlikely friends and how they became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Year 11 students Bailey Hampton and Ailish O’Brien highly recommended seeing Wicked stating that the show was “definitely worth watching”.

Touring BrisbaneYear 10 Visual Art students gathered imagery and inspiration for their

cityscape paintings, on Friday 6th March. A photography tour of Brisbane, including such locations as the Botanical Gardens, William Jolly Bridge and South Bank, allowed students to photograph a range of architecture and natural settings. These photographs will be combined using Photoshop to provide inspiration for a large canvas painting.

Students also had the chance to tour the William Robinson Gallery in Old Government House. The exhibition included a range of Robinson’s famous landscape, farmyard and portrait paintings; the students were very excited to see paintings we had studied in class in the flesh.

Welcome Year 7 sCongratulations and welcome to Beaudesert State High School for

2015. The first term for our Year 7s has been very busy with ID card production, school photos, full school swimming carnival and the senior investiture parades. The Year 7s have been very enthusiastic with the adoption of our Laptops for Students Program. Each Year 7 student has a laptop with digital textbooks and a huge array of software, which gives the modern Year 7 classroom a very different look. We have moved very quickly from regarding the technology as new and different to being a fundamental component of the learning environment.

Beaudesert SHS took another step into the Digital Age this year, with all 280 Year 7 students being issued a school laptop in the first week of school. These devices are supported by a wireless network that covers all classrooms, as well as areas between school buildings. As our Year 7 students are now discovering, having this new learning tool sitting in front of them for every lesson, with internet access and a large array of installed software, their learning is no longer restricted to the four walls of a classroom.

Year 7 Science

Year 7 SOSE

Welcome Year 8sThe Year 8s have made a very impressive start

to the year fully engaging with our high school curriculum. The Year 8 students have mastered their timetable and are able to navigate around the school with ease. The 8s have made impressive efforts as they aim to reach their Personal Best.

Welcome to Year 9sWhat a great start to 2015 with

our year 9 students. First up was the swimming carnival, where our own Jeremy Smith broke the 50m Butterfly record, paving the way for Leichhardt to win, for the 5th year in a row.

Back at school, we have been running weekly challenges for the Year 9 form classes on Wednesdays. Our aim for this year is to encourage participation in all activities.

We would also like to welcome and congratulate our 6 Student Council Representatives: Rohan O’Brien, Tebani Crouch, Matthew Simmonds, Chad Johnston, Jacob Burnett and Ashely Brettoner.

Japan Pen-pal Exchange From the end of last year, our senior students have been involved in an exchange of letters to

Nukui Junior High School in Japan. Students have been writing using a mixture of English and Japanese, which has been a very exciting activity for both the Australian and Japanese students.

Being friends with similarly aged kids in another country helps students realise that they have many things in common and despite living in very different environments, there are so many things that make kids the same everywhere. On an academic level, students have been able to practice their Japanese writing skills and organise their thoughts onto paper. It takes time to write, send and then receive a letter from an overseas pen-pal. In today’s world of instant messaging and instant responses, writing a letter by hand and posting it in the mail-box the ‘old fashion’ way has been an exciting and fun experience.

Instrumental Music ProgramBeaudesert High has a strings and band program that is open to all students

from Year 7-12. These ensembles play at various school events throughout the year, with an instrumental concert being held in Term 3. We plan to perform at some of the primary schools in our area, in the near future.

Shave For A CureWhether it be shaving or waxing, the Beaudesert boys

certainly put on a show for our students, raising over $2155 for the Leukemia Foundation. Our top three fundraisers were: Charlie Baker, raising $864; Harrison Bettridge, raising $500 and Rhys Holgate, raising $190. A huge thank you to the Student Representative Council Members and Ms Ellis for organising this event and to all of the participants:

Elijah Allan, Liam Allen, Charlie Baker, Harrison Bettridge, Jhy Brighton-McHugh, Jadyn Cameron, Andrew Henttonen, Rhys Holgate, Joseph Inwood-Travers, Jake Levin, Jesse Smith, James Taylor, Colin Warner,Caleb Whatley, Bryce Whiffin, Jack Wiegman and Dylan Williams.

Honouring Our Senior LeadersOn Wednesday 11th March, the Year 12s of 2015 took part in their Senior

Investiture Ceremony and badge presentation. The occasion also recognised the students who had gained House Captain and other leadership positions within the school.

Over 70 students were awarded Bronze Level Leadership badges and over 30 people were awarded Silver Level Leadership badges in the ceremony. Our special guest was Mr. Scott Buchholz MP. Scott continues to value and support the students and staff at the school.

The ceremony was attended by parents and families of the students and it was great to see a large number of parents attending.

Taking the stage for their very first timeThe Year 7 students certainly don’t lack enthusiasm when it comes

to performing. This term, by combining both Dance and Drama, students created their own performance based on a chosen issue. Congratulations to all the Year 7 students, who performed either individually or in pairs, giving amazing performances.

HospitalityMiss Bradbury’s Year 12 Hospitality Practices class have been busily

learning about the different cuts of meat, how to cook them and how to present vegetables in an interesting way. This term had the class creating, cooking and presenting a main meal that consists of different meats and vegetables cooked in different ways. The class has sautéed, mashed, seared and steamed their way through the term and should be very proud of themselves!

Stomping the GroundsYear 10 Dance students have been studying percussive movement

in their unit ‘Rythym is a Dancer’ this term. For their assessment, students emulated performance group, ‘STOMP’s’ style, creating rhythmic dance works that incorporated untraditional dance elements (e.g. brooms, drums, outdoor performance spaces). The students thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with and developing innovative and unique performances.

Year 12 Modern HistoryOur Year 12 Modern History class has

been studying the impacts of slavery and racism in the United States as well as taking a closer look at the Civil Rights movement. Students find that the themes studied in Modern History are relevant to their world.

The class were required to trace the timeline of US history, from the introduction of slavery, to the election of America’s first African American president.

Students will continue their studies focusing on Australia’s indigenous history.

Abstract ArtThis term had our Year 12 Visual

Art Studies students thinking outside the square and looking at unrealistic, unbalanced and very distorted concepts. It was a time for experimentation and manipulation of materials and techniques, with amazing outcomes. Artwork by: Brittaney Miller, Bailey Schuh, Teegan Reynolds, Layla Praisner, Mary Jakl and Tayla-Rose Matheson.

‘Welcome to the Sixties!’Beaudesert High School is performing Hairspray Jr.

‘You can't stop the beat’ in this big and bold musical, about one girl's inspiring dream to dance. The family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs, is adapted from the original Broadway version. Starring students from all year levels and teachers, this year’s musical has everyone involved. Come along, sing along and enjoy our talented performers, as they become ‘The nicest kids in town’.

Performance Dates: Thursday 4/6 6:30pm

Friday 5/6 7pm

Saturday 6/6 7pm

Location: Beaudesert SHS, Multi-Purpose Hall

Tickets will go on sale via www.eventbrite.com.au during May. Look out for notices and Tiqbiz notifications for the exact date.

General Admission (sitting on the grandstands in the multi) $10 per ticket

Reserved Seating (sitting in theatre style seating) $15 per ticket

High School Students $10 per ticket

Primary school children $5 per ticket

Families (2 Adults and up to three primary school aged children) $40

Up and Coming EventsDATE EVENT

28th April Parent /Teacher Interviews (3.30pm)

11th May 7/8 Cyber Safety Performance

12-14th May NAPLAN (Year 7 and 9)

13th May Year 12 Student QCS Seminar

15th May District Cross Country

20th May Year 12 Student QCS Practice

4-6th June School Musical “Hairspray”

11th June Year 11 & 12 UQ Expo “Careers That Shape The World”

16-23rd June Year 11 & 12 Exams

25-26th June Athletics Carnival

Swimming Carnival (continued)