The Term in Review from the Executive Leadership Team · 2019-09-05 · PO Box 303 Telephone: 07 3377 9333 Email: [email protected] 78 Bywong Street Facsimile: 07 3377 9300 Web:

Newsletter Term 1 Review 5 April 2019

PO Box 303 Telephone: 07 3377 9333 Email: [email protected]

78 Bywong Street Facsimile: 07 3377 9300 Web: https://qasmt.eq.edu.au

Toowong Q 4066 CRICOS provider number 00608A P&C: [email protected]

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The Term in Review from the Executive Leadership Team

Dear Parents,

The end of first term marks a

significant milestone for many of

our students, as the Year 7 and 10

students are no longer considered

to be the ‘newbies’ of our school

community. It has been a pleasure

working with our staff to ensure a

smooth transition into Academy

life for our new students.

Changing schools can be a

challenge and we are happy to

see that our students have settled

in very well. The Year 7 students

had the opportunity to establish

new friendships at the Year 7

camp earlier this term and the

upcoming Year 10 camp will

provide our Year 10 students with further opportunity to support their transition. Camps are a vital component

of our education outside the classroom curriculum and it is an expectation that all students attend. For our

Year 11 and 12 students, this term has been a busy one, with their focus firmly on the Diploma Programme.

The exam block at the end of this term will provide the opportunity for valuable feedback on their progress.

The end of Term 1 is also an important milestone for staff new to the Academy, as they have also undertaken

a significant change. QASMT has an extensive induction and training program for new staff. As part of the

induction and training program, staff are provided with ongoing professional development. This induction

program runs throughout the first term of school, where new staff attend weekly professional development

meetings.

Lastly, our new parent community have also undergone considerable adjustment, as navigating the protocols

and communication channels of a school can often be quite daunting. We strive to keep our parent community

informed and it is for this reason that we hold regular parent information evenings. This term, we hosted the

INSTEP new parent evening, year group information evenings as well as a parent speaker series preceding

P&C meetings. Next term, we will conduct Parent Teacher interviews as well as an information evening for

all year groups. Additionally, the launch of the Daymap Parent Portal provides families with much greater

access to information, such as access to the school calendar, a student’s timetable, attendance, subject

information and school notices.

The Executive Leadership Team sets a strategic focus for each term and leads through intentional collaboration and professional learning. This term, the focus has been on re-writing the Responsible Behaviour Plan in response to expanding our school to a Year 7-12 Campus. We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment for students and staff, where students have opportunities to engage in quality learning experiences and acquire values supportive of their lifelong wellbeing. This Responsible Behaviour Plan is aligned to the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile attributes and Positive Education practices. It is designed to facilitate high standards of behaviour so that the





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learning and teaching in our school can be effective and students can participate positively within our school community. The Responsible Behaviour plan is underpinned by our three school protocols: Show respect

Maintain safety

Take responsibility

This plan was developed in collaboration with our school community. Broad consultation with parents, staff

and students was undertaken through consultation meetings held during 2018. A full review of important data

sets relating to attendance, unexplained absences, cancellations, suspensions and exclusions, behaviour

incidents including bullying and cyber bullying were used to inform this plan. Other inappropriate online

behaviour including inappropriate use of mobile phones or other electronic devices also informed the

development process. This plan is now in the final draft stage and will be shared with the school community

once it has been endorsed.

Throughout this term, there have been a number of school events that our students have participated in. Some of these include participation in our Academy Open Day, where more than 1500 people visited our campus to see our classrooms in action. The Year 12 cohort participated in the Careers Mentoring Breakfast with professionals who kindly offered their time to speak to our students about their careers. Some of the other events this term included the Academy Cross Country Carnival, Sports Gala days and also anti-bullying awareness activities, organised by our school Chaplain Garth Calder. Another highlight of Term 1 was the Academy’s participation in the World Science Festival, which has been hailed by The New York Times, ‘a new cultural institution’. Founded by renowned Physicist, Professor Brian Greene and Emmy award-winning journalist Tracy Day, this festival has been held annually in New York for more than a decade and since 2016, held annually in Brisbane. This year the theme of the event was ‘curiosity’ and key events took place in the CBD, Southbank Cultural Precinct and the creative hub around the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm. In conjunction with this festival, we had the pleasure of welcoming the girls participating in STEM Girl Power Camp. Now in its 4th year, The STEM Girl Power Camp is an important initiative of Advancing education: An Action Plan for Education in Queensland, to address the lower participation rates of girls in STEM subjects and careers. Education Minister Grace Grace visited our campus to launch the 2019 STEM Girl Power Camp, welcoming 59 of the state’s brightest Year 10 students to the four-day event in Brisbane. Across the week, these young women attended workshops and networked with female role models in the STEM industry. There were a number of our staff and students who assisted with this camp and without their efforts and mentoring, this camp would not have been as successful and engaging for these girls.

Whilst our students and staff go about their daily routines, behind the scenes, the campus has been a hive

of activity with building work commenced on the new precinct. The Executive Team have worked with the

project manager to finalise the detail around fit outs, colours, carpets and materials, so that our vision for this

precinct is well and truly coming to life. The building work remains on schedule and should be open for the

commencement of the school year in 2019.





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Operational Matters

Uniform

A reminder that during Terms 2 and 3, students are required to wear the Winter Uniform as detailed in the

QASMT Uniform Policy, a copy of which is available on the QASMT website.

Term 2 Commencement Assembly

All students must be in attendance at the commencement assembly on Tuesday April 23 at 9.00am in the

Auditorium. Please note that formal uniform is required, including blazers for all students. Girls in all year

levels are expected to wear black opaque stockings.

Reporting and Parent Teacher Interviews

Reports for all students will be emailed to families on Monday April 29. At this time, the online booking system

for Parent Teacher interviews will be open to families. Information on how to use this booking system will be

sent out with the Term 1 reports. The Parent Teacher interviews for Years 7, 10, 11 and 12 students will take

place on Wednesday May 8 from 2.00pm - 8.00pm in the Auditorium. It is preferable that students attend this

interview with their parents, so that the communication of their progress can be shared with all parties.

Enrichment Policy

Parents and students are advised to thoroughly read the Enrichment Policy to ensure that they are aware of

the Academy guidelines on participation in enrichment activities. A copy of the Enrichment Policy can be

located on the QASMT website. At QASMT, we value student involvement in enrichment activities. We

believe participation develops skills and provides experience that will enhance their education. Participation

in enrichment activities and school representation is a privilege that is reliant on students meeting the

Academy’s high expectations with regard to academic progress, attendance, effort and behaviour. There are

a number of enrichment activities that will require prior approval in order to participate. In order to maximise

achievement, it is necessary to provide some boundaries and benchmarks to ensure we are providing the

students with opportunities to succeed. If students are not meeting these standards they may be restricted

from participating in enrichment activities.

It is important that our school community has a shared understanding about the requirements for representing

the school in enrichment activities. The Academy:

Believes students should demonstrate commitment to their academic studies, attendance, effort and behaviour in line with the schools expectations.

Believes students should find a balance between their academic studies and enrichment involvement.

Believes there should be transparency in the requirements for selection in enrichment activities.

Students are expected to:

Be passing all subjects in the previous term of study.

Have an attendance of 90% or above over the past year to date, with the exception of approved leave, or certified medical absence.

Have not taken unapproved leave over the past year to date.

Have not been involved in behaviour requiring disciplinary absence as outlined in the Responsible Behaviour Plan in the past two years.





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Have followed the student dress code as outlined in the Uniform Policy.

NAPLAN preparation

Our Year 7 students and Teachers have been actively preparing for the NAPLAN Online test that will be held

from 14th to 23rd May. Students sat for the technical readiness test on 6th March and the practice test on 27th

March. Both of which were completed with very few issues and has given us valuable insight into where

improvements can be made. In Term 2, Departments will continue to implementing strategies to prepare

students to ensure that they are ready and perform at their optimum level. Students and parents will receive

detail information on the test schedule closer to the test.

Finally, we wish all families a safe and happy holidays and look forward to the term ahead.

Kath Kayrooz, Principal, Kerry Bullock, Deputy Principal Cohesion, Tanya Haggarty, Deputy Principal

Performance, Kathy Mackey, Deputy Principal Engagement, Meng-Yin Leong, Director International

Baccalaureate





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Term in Review from Language, Literature and the Arts

Group 1

MYP Language and Literature

Year 7 students have made a seamless transition into the study of Language

and Literature and have actively participated in a variety of thought-provoking

challenges and events during Term 1. One of the key focus areas has been to

ensure that our young readers maintain their love for reading literature and non-

fiction texts. Our independent reading program has proven to be most

successful and students have been encouraged to use a critical lens when they

make meaning of texts. Evidence of their high order thinking skills have been

noted in their Reflection Journal; whereby students pause to reflect and reveal

their comprehension, interpretation and critical analysis of texts. The journal also acts as a conduit whereby

the student and teacher can conference regarding the text’s narrative elements, themes and other significant

aspects. Discussions have been quite lively as the students have shared their insights into the manner in

which the author has developed the plot, constructed characters, revealed the changing nature of

relationships and utilised language and literary techniques to engage and entertain readers.

In addition, our learning program has provided young authors with the

opportunity to enhance their persuasive writing skills as well as improve

their performance at each stage of the writing process. Each step of the

writing process was explicitly taught and then the writers applied their

knowledge, understanding and skill by putting pen to paper and fingertips

to keyboards. Step one in constructing a persuasive letter involved

brainstorming, which was followed by scaffolding and drafting PEEL

paragraphs (Point, Evidence, Explain, Link to theme or the following

point). Once the groundwork had been laid, the authors drafted a well-

structured letter that demonstrated high modality and included a

repertoire of literary features. Editing was the final stage prior to the

submission of the final, polished piece of persuasive writing. Naturally,

teacher feedback was provided at each stage of the process.

Year 10 English

Year 10 students have demonstrated a smooth transition into the QASMT learning community this year. New

peer groups have been formed and the young thinkers / writers have continued with their study of the National

Curriculum, through the lens of the International Baccalaureate framework. This term’s learning has focussed

on developing annotation, analysis and critical writing skills.

In addition, the young readers have recently embarked on a literary exploration. Each class is currently

studying a novel; and will continue to apply their analytical skills as they examine the text during Term 2.

Please ask your child what novel he/she is currently reading for English, and encourage a conversation

around the setting, characters and their relationships as well as the conflict evident in the narrative.

Alec Lyle





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DP English A: Literature

DP1 students have engaged in the study of the works of the prolific poet Maya

Angelou (right) as well as the articles and essays penned and presented by the

extraordinary civil rights activist, Dr Martin Luther King. Apart from exploring the

central meaning of the texts, students applied their critical thinking and writing skills.

To demonstrate what they had learned, students participated in class discussions

and composed analytical written pieces.

DP2 students continued their study of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the works

of the Australian poet Bruce Dawe (right), which began in Term 4 of 2018. Analysis

of purpose, content, language and literary techniques employed by the authors

formed the basis of the textual study. The culminating event for the students was to

conduct one of the most challenging of IB tasks: the IOC (Individual Oral

Commentary). This assessment task requires students to choose one piece from a

selection of extracts and poems that have been studied in class and dedicate 20

minutes to annotating, analysing and designing a critical commentary. The critics

then deliver a 10 minute oral presentation in which they deconstruct the literary piece

in terms of most significant aspects of the piece as well as its form and style. Deep

knowledge and understanding of the author’s intent, the subject matter of text as well

as how it is represented through the use of stylistic devices along with the

consequential effect such choices have on the poem and the audience, is essential.

Debating

The Queensland Debating season has opening with success for the Senior A and Year 10 teams. The young, persuasive orators have been working collaboratively methodically and meaningfully for several weeks and have travelled to various locations in Brisbane to enter into a battle of minds and wit. Our intrepid debaters have clashed with other schools over such topics as “we should ban fast fashion”, “that political parties should not be able to change leaders outside of election periods”, “that we should ban private space exploration”, and “That security is more important than civil liberties in the fight against terrorism.” With each debate, our





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teams are constantly improving with leaps and bounds. We look forward to their efforts next term going into the final two rounds.

Our Year 7 students have been competing in house this term and have been coached by a number of senior students. We are particularly grateful for the work delivered by Kiana Etebari who has worked tirelessly to develop the knowledge and skills of our young and aspiring debaters. Year 11 students have also been committed their time and energy to support the Year 7s; and we are most grateful for your efforts. We are currently seeking parental support for our Year sevens next term as they move into the junior secondary QDU Debating season. If you would like to help, please contact our P&C liaison Gita Akhtar via [email protected]

However, the highlight thus far in the Debating season is the fact that Year 12 student Tanae Rao (photo right) was selected as one of the top 12 students in the state to trial for the Queensland State Debating Team. Over 160 students have been involved in the trials process this year, making selection into the final 12 a significant achievement for Tanae.

GROUP 6

VISUAL ARTS

The Creative Arts have enjoyed a special start to 2019 with the refurbishment of the classroom and studio

spaces for Visual Arts. This facility will significantly support teaching and learning opportunities and enhance

students’ creative expression.

Our first Year 7 Visual Arts cohort have made a wonderful start this term embracing the work program with

enthusiasm. They are being challenged to explore their world and the world of art through studying and studio

practice. Investigating and developing through drawing, sculpture and critical thinking skills they are creating

confident personal responses.

Year 10, 11 and 12 are enjoying an exciting start having their first exhibition of artwork for Open Day.

Showcasing diverse and confident art making through a variety of media themes and forms they created a

welcoming and informative environment for welcoming visitors in to the Visual Arts space. These classes

have also had the opportunity to visit the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art to view the 9th Asia Pacific

Triennial of Contemporary Art to enhance their studies and enjoy this most significant exhibition of works

from diverse cultural contexts across this region.

Instrumental Music

Term 1 has been an extremely productive term for the Instrumental Music department. With the addition of

the Year 7 cohort into the SMT community, there has been significant growth in the instrumental music arena.

Due to this growth and the recruiting of two new music teachers, the music department has been a hive of

activity over the first term as the programme gets up and running for the year, with many new and exciting

developments taking place.

A significant cultural change for the school has been the implementation of the Year 7 group lessons.

Students who don’t take external private tuition are entitled to a weekly group lesson that occurs during the

school day. These lessons take place with expert teachers and allow the students to develop and refine their

technique.





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With over 20% of the school populace participating in Instrumental Music, 10 ensembles have been formed

to ensure that all students who want to be part of the music programme are placed in an ensemble that will

cater for their age and stage. In 2019 there are three string ensembles, two concert bands, two percussion

ensembles, two choirs and one stage band and it is exciting to think that as the school continues to grow

over the next two years there will be many more students involved and ensembles created!

It is evident that the SMT community desires to foster a strong and thriving music culture and already there

have been numerous opportunities for our senior ensembles to perform at various school events. Big Band

had the pleasure of performing at the Principals address on Open Day and for the whole school assembly

that took place the following week. Percussion Ensemble 1 wowed perspective parents and students as they

were led on tours around our beautiful campus with a Taiko drumming inspired piece at Open Day. Chamber

Strings performed for Grace Grace, Minister for Education, at the STEM Girls Power Camp.

It has been a privilege to welcome Bethan Lewis to the team. Bethan comes to SMT with a vast array of

experience and expertise as both a performer and strings educator. It is reassuring to know that our Year 7

string students and members of Allegro Strings and Vivace Strings are under the expert hand of a quality

educator and musician.

A Music Support Group (MSG) has been created as a sub-group of the P&C to raise much needed funds for

the programme. The group have been very active this term and have submitted an application for both the

Yamaha Great Start Grant worth $60,000 and the Community Benefit Grant of $35,000. Fingers crossed they

are successful! The MSG meet once a term with the next meeting taking place on Tuesday 30th April at 6pm

in HUP. All are welcome, so please come along and get involved.

Term 2 is shaping up to be a full and busy term for Instrumental Music. Below is an overview of some key

things that are taking place:

WEEK DATE EVENT ENSEMBLE

Week 1 Tuesday 23 April Commencement Assembly

Chamber Strings

Wednesday 24 April ANZAC Day Ceremony Chamber Strings

Week 2 Thursday 2 May Workshop with Tania Savage

Percussion Ensemble 2

Friday 3 May Workshop with Gwyn Roberts

Chamber Strings

Week 3 Thursday 9 May Queensland Youth Music Awards

Chamber Strings

Week 4 Thursday 15 May Instrumental Music Concert

All ensembles

Week 5 Wednesday 22 May Workshop with Stephen Chin

Vivace Strings

Week 6 Monday 27 May Choral Fanfare Heats Voci Senior & Govani Voci

If your child plays an instrument and would like to be involved in the Instrumental Music Programme, please

send Mr Dean Fanning an email, [email protected], and we will discuss the way forward.

Donna Shay, Head of Department Language, Literature and the Arts

mailto:[email protected]





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The Term in Review from the Department of Language

Acquisition

Our students have settled well into their language classes. I would encourage

students to ensure that by now they have developed a study routine. This is not a

job to put off. It is the most important task in order to learn a language. Students’

schedules need to have time for homework, assessments and revision.

Term 1 marked an important stage in the lives of our Year 12 German students as

they finished their IA work and began revising for their final examinations in May.

I wish them all the best for their final stretch and I would like to thank Ms Schmid

for her relentless efforts in preparing our students for the upcoming exams.

The language acquisition team had a busy start to the year including many

highlights.

The Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad (OzCLO)

OzCLO is a contest for high school students. It challenges them to develop their own strategies for solving

problems in fascinating real languages. The OzCLO 2019 Competition was held Wednesday 13 March 2019

and we had some fantastic outcomes. Please see the table below for the winners.

Level Band Team member 1 Team member 2 Team member 3 Team member 4

Senior Gold Evelyn Dekker Charlotte Birkinshaw Eloise Johnson Ziang Jia

Senior Silver Miranda Yau Tristan Burgess Maria Babu Anisha Mujib

Senior Silver Maryam Mansour Amogh Durgam Amy Elkomos Liam Revell

Senior Bronze Shishir Khanal Ramit Grover Daniel Zhao Sourish Agarwal





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The MLTAQ 2019 Multi Language Speech Contest is on Sunday 4

August at Griffith University (Nathan) this year. We are on the hunt for

students to represent QASMT in the following languages from all

grades: Japanese, German, French, Spanish. If you are interested in

competing, please come to SEP staff room to register your interest. All

competing students receive a participation certificate and seniors can

use the competition as part of their CAS. For more information, see your Language teacher and keep an eye

out for more information on Day Map in Term 2.

またね。 ! Bis später! A bientôt! Hasta la vista! valēte! See you soon!

We are looking forward to a successful year.

Stephanie Berlage, Head of Department Language Acquisition





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The Term in Review from the Department of Individuals,

Society and Technology

We have had a very smooth start to the school year and I am very fortunate to be leading a talented and dedicated team of teachers. Our Year 10 and Year 7 students are transitioning well and embracing the demands of our new curricular offerings: MYP Design, MYP Individuals and Societies and Pre IB ITGS. New for 2019 - Year 7 MYP Design

In Year 7 Design this term the students have been analysing and completing research on board games, with the goal of designing their own board game to promote house spirit. The process we have been following is the Design Cycle (see diagram) which provides a systematic method of completing research, reviewing ideas and providing a solution to a problem and then evaluating the success of the solution. This process can be applied to all subjects the students are studying in the MYP.

Students are working in groups and have agreed on specifications for their group design. They will use these to build prototypes of their design when they return in Term 2. The students have been working in groups which also allows them to develop important skills including collaboration and teamwork.

Year 7 students developing collaborating strategies – the Cup Stack Challenge New for 2019 - Year 7 MYP Individuals and Societies This term our Year 7 students have been historians exploring the mystery of Narrabeen Man. As historians, our students have been examining evidence to develop their own theories to explain what happened to Narrabeen Man. The unit culminated in lively discussions where each student paired with another student to





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present and defend their theory as well as challenge the theories of others. The students recorded these discussions on their laptops using Audacity (sound recording and editing software). This is an excellent example of how technology can be leveraged to enhance learning through promoting communication skills in addition to developing sound recording and editing skills. New for 2019 – Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) As we attract students with a thirst for Science, Maths and Technology, ITGS was introduced this year at QASMT as a Humanities subject to promote and complement this passion. ITGS is a digital humanities subject which promotes critical thinking by examining the impact of computer systems on society. ITGS is a subject that incorporates aspects of both Economics and Psychology while providing a solid foundation and skills development for the Theory of Knowledge, a compulsory component of the Diploma Programme (DP.) This term, our Year 10 students put the G(lobal) into ITGS by exploring the life cycle of a computer: what are the key components (for example, CPU, motherboard, RAM, ROM, SSD), where the raw materials used in these components are mined, where devices are assembled and sold, as well as the end of the life of the computer in terms of recycling, eWaste and disposal options. We explored questions such as: How do hardware manufacturers and governments support responsible disposal of hardware? This documentary ToxiCity: life at Agbobloshie, the world's largest e-waste dump in Ghana, provides an interesting perspective of the impacts of consumerism. Now that our Year 10 students have settled into QASMT and have a better understanding of the Humanities subjects, we are offering students the opportunity to change out of Psychology or Economics into ITGS from Term 2. Please note that this change should be considered as permanent with the intention to go through to the IB HL DP ITGS course. Subject change forms are available from the student centre (library) and must be submitted within the first two weeks of Term 2.

The 2019 Australian Brain Bee Competition (a University of Queensland initiative)

Ms Elaine Wentworth, competition organiser commented “23 QASMT students completed the first regional round of the 2019 Australian Brain Bee Challenge This World Series challenge is a competition for high school students in Year 10 in which students learn about neuroscience research and also about the brain and its functions. It is a test of knowledge about important facts concerning intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, ageing, sleep, Alzheimer's disease and stroke. The content also helps to dispel misconceptions about neurological and mental illnesses.”

We await our results and are confident that our students will move into the next national round of the competition. Thank you to Ms Elaine Wentworth for organising the competition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mleQVO1Vd1I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mleQVO1Vd1I





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News from the Engineering and Technology Ambassadors

This term the Technology Ambassadors have had the opportunity to make technology more visible throughout the school through supporting such events as the Academy Games, specifically the planning and running of the Mario Kart competition section of the Games. The Technology Ambassadors have also been able to develop and enhance their mentoring and tech support skills as the school gained two new cohorts this year. A number of Ambassadors are also members of the Robotics Club, which allows them to hone their mentoring skills, particularly with the Year 7 students who are new to Robotics and require further support.

The Engineering Ambassadors have made a good start to 2019, meeting regularly to plan for upcoming events. A new initiative is a regular Quiz Challenge where students can try out the challenges and enter a competition for small prizes. In addition, we are in the process of planning a week of Robotics fun and activities for Term 2, Week 2, which will allow students in the school community to have a go at building and programming a simple robot, during their lunch breaks. Thank you to Mr May and Ms Bebbington for their leadership. Robotics Program Our Robotics Program is expanding. We have many new students who have joined our program with almost 80 students in our Friday robotics CCA. We have purchased new LEGO kits for the Year 7 students and introduced Arduinos for our Year 11 teams. We are thankful for the support of the P&C Robotics Group as they fundraise and compete for grants so that we can build capacity and provide a wider variety of opportunities for more students. Ms Bebbington commented “The National Championship Robocup Open Maze competitive team are well underway in their building and testing for the International Championships in July. They have constructed prototype base robot and are currently working on programming the various functions for motion and heat and colour detection. We are very excited to watch their progress as they prepare for this exciting and prestigious competition.”

BlueShift Business Competition

Mr Michael Colquhoun commented “This year we have three Year 11 teams (11 students) that have been willing to roll up their sleeves and do some hard work outside of class hours in this annual interschool student Business Case Study Competition. This year the students are working with the Australian wide company, Iglu student accommodation, to analyse a real world problem that they are facing and through research and creative team collaboration the students will produce some solutions and recommendations for the business.”

We wish all three teams the best as they compete in this tough competition and look forward to them all making the final round at QUT in May. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday.

Madeleine Brookes, Head of Department Individuals, Society and Technology





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The Term in Review from the Department of Physical

Sciences

Staff and students have had an excellent Term 1! It has been a joy to see the

Year 7 students working in the Science labs. Our Year 7 students have been

investigating the science behind toys, specifically forces. Through hands-on

activities they have explored a range of toys and made inferences about the

forces acting them. Our culminating investigation has students applying their

knowledge to design and construct a model boat out of aluminium foil and to

conduct an investigation to improve the buoyancy of the boat. Students will

submit their report as part of a ‘competition’ to assist the insurance company ‘Best

of Boat Worlds,’ to reduce their outgoing costs to customers through boats

sinking.

Year 10 students have settled quickly into their Science

subjects, while Year 11 and 12 students have been busy

making further progress in their respective IB subjects. The

QASMT laboratories have been extremely busy this term,

with all Group 4 Extended Essay (EE) students completing

the experimental and data collection phase of their EE.

Year 12 Chemistry students have carried out their final

Internal Assessment (IA) task, which counts for 20% of

their final grade in IB Chemistry.

STEM Girl Power Camp

QASMT welcomed 59 Year 10 girls from all over Queensland to

the fourth annual STEM Girl Power Camp. Since its inception in

2016, QASMT has played a pivotal role in this event. This year’s

launch took place on Tuesday March 19, at QASMT. Twenty

exceptional Year 11 QASMT students were mentors for the

STEM campers, greeting them on arrival and making them feel

welcome at our school. In addition, twelve senior student

volunteers and twenty Year 7 students set up and ran interactive

science experiences in Chemistry, Physics and Biology. The

campers had an opportunity to experience some fun hands-on

science from the very beginning of their camp. At the official

launch, we were honoured to welcome Education Minister Grace

Grace and Director State Schools – Performance, Department of

Education, Mr Terry Gallagher. The campers joined the QASMT

students for dinner in the refectory following the launch.





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On Friday March 22, the final day of the camp, Year 11 Mentors met the

campers again at the World Science Festival in Southbank. The mentors and

campers were able to spend some time together and it was inspiring to hear of

the fantastic experiences the regional students had enjoyed during the week.

The campers have returned to their schools inspired to promote STEM in their

local communities. The mentors will stay in touch via email and skype to assist

with the planning of Science Week activities in August.

The Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation – Queensland Academies Joint Project

This term saw the culmination of the Queensland University of

Technology and Queensland Academies STEM Outreach Program

which began in June 2018. We had four students in Year 12 finish

their projects at the university, where they participated in real work research in the nature of hydrogel

materials and their uses as a human tissue analogue for growing cells in medical research. This exciting

opportunity was much appreciated by our four students who presented their findings to their PhD supervisors,

university lecturers and their teachers in a final function held at the Institute of Health and Biomedical

Innovation (QUT), on March 28. We are very proud of what they learned during this process and plan to offer

this wonderful extension activity to a new cohort of Year 11 students in Term 2.

ISSF 2019

In week 8 this term, Dr Mackey and Mrs Pearce along with Year 11

students, Evelyn Dekker, Lurissa Masters and Ziang Jia, represented

QASMT at International Student Science Fair 2019 (ISSF), hosted this

year by National Junior College, Singapore. During the week-long event,

students were involved in research presentations, field trips, cultural

sharing, workshops and a Design and Building

Challenge.

One of the focus areas of this year’s ISSF was

Design-Thinking, which is a current priority in Singapore as a way of driving

innovation. A significant component of ISSF are the cultural and social interactions

that occur between students and teachers from across the globe. These interactions

help develop friendships and collaborative opportunities amongst students and

educational leaders. QASMT has been invited to participate in a number of other

science fairs this year, both in Australia and overseas, as a result of our involvement

in ISSF and as an International Science School Network (ISSN) school.

Brisbane North Science and Engineering Challenge

In week 5 of term, 20 Year 10 Physics students represented QASMT in the

Brisbane North Science and Engineering Challenge at UQ, St Lucia

Campus. The students undertook a range of engineering-based activities and

challenges. QASMT students showed great ingenuity and initiative while

completing the day’s activities and placed second in the competition, while

having a lot of fun and representing the Academy in an exemplary manner.





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Physics Bowl 2019

Every year the most dedicated and highly trained Physics athletes from all over the world gather to compete

in the ultimate sport – Physics Bowl. The competition is run by the American Association of Physics Teachers

(AAPT) and attracts over 10,000 competitors world-wide. This term we have been training for this event as

part of the Physics Olympiad Club CCA. Twenty students completed the challenge on Friday afternoon Week

9 before heading home to study for final exams this week. Such commitment from these Physics athletes!

Results will be out next term.

Sample Physics Bowl Question

Submit answers and explanations to Dr Hogg ([email protected]) for a prize and eternal Physics glory.

Students and staff have worked hard throughout Term 1; I trust that all will enjoy some rest and relaxation

over the Easter break, and return to QASMT refreshed and ready for Term 2.

Cheryl Pearce, Head of Department Physical Sciences






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The Term in Review from the Department of Life Sciences

Curriculum

The Life Sciences Department has certainly had an event filled term. Year 12 Biology students submitted their final internal assessment and Sports, Exercise and Health students are well on their way to writing theirs. Year 12 students have also continued to refine their research and critical thinking skills as they collect and analyse data in the experimental phase of their Extended Essays. Our Year 7 PHE cohort have developed the MYP approaches to learning skills of communication and social skills through their exploration of the statement of inquiry for their unit, that “for a team to function effectively, individuals must communicate efficiently and use appropriate interpersonal skills”.

Sport

Our Sport Program has kicked off with resounding success this term. Our new students have thoroughly enjoyed the program, improved their individual and team skills and had plenty of fun in the process. At the time of writing our Year 7 students are proudly representing QASMT for the first time at the Junior Summer Gala Day. Teams are competing in basketball, volleyball and touch football and I’m sure they will give their best on the day. Our senior students also competed in their Gala Day earlier this term. QASMT came away with two Pennants, with our open girls’ basketball team going back to back with another win and our open boys’ cricket team proudly victorious. Congratulations to both teams and all competitors, as well as team managers and coaches who supported their teams on the two Gala Days.

QASMT students have also been very successful in representative sport this term, with our students representing the Northern Eagles district in swimming, volleyball, netball, basketball and soccer, and the Met West region in swimming and volleyball.

The Cross Country and Walkathon provided students an opportunity

for physical activity and team spirit, while also proving a challenge as

runners made their way up heartbreak hill. Hawking and Franklin

House were well represented in their highly anticipated carnival debut.

House pride was clearly evident and the war cry competition was hotly

contended, with Franklin claiming victory in their stunning entrance into

the competition. Congratulations to Newton, who finished the day as

carnival winners and well done to all participants.





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Co-Curricular Activity

Our new Year 7 and 10 students have now experienced what CCA is all about at QASMT

and have participated in a wide range of activities, including harnessing their creative

potential in the art shed and knitting for charity, crafting well supported arguments in

debating and Model United Nations, designing, building and coding in robotics and

outwitting and outplaying in chess, board games, scrabble and the Dungeons and

Dragons club. Students have fully engaged in their activities, giving them time to unwind,

make new friends, engage in service and gain all important balance across their school

experience. Term 2 CCA sign up is underway, with some exciting new opportunities

available for students as we introduce a number of new clubs such as running, junior gym

circuit, anime drawing, microscopic world, data visualisation and the mother tongue club.

Catherine de Freitas Pessoa, Head of Department Life Sciences





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The Term in Review from the Department of Mathematics

and Data

Term 1 has been full of exciting events and activities. Our Year 10 and Year 7

students are fully settled and working well, having already had one exam and

an assignment. We trust these items have been useful for the students as they

review how they are progressing and learn where they can improve. Our Year

12 students (Maths SL and HL) have started their Exploration which is worth

20% of their final IB grade. The exploration is on a topic of their choice and the

full draft is due early next term for teacher feedback.

Mathematics Events

Year 11 student Jason Wang was selected from outstanding previous results to

try out for the Australian Mathematical Olympiad. Only approximately 100

students across Australia are selected to participate each year.

Furthermore, Jason’s results in this Olympiad were so good that he then

received an invitation to the Training School in Sydney (approximately 10

students are selected for this). Jason was also asked to represent

Australia in the Asian Pacific Mathematical Olympiad. These are

commendable achievements and we congratulate Jason on his efforts and

wish him well.

March 14 each year is known as Pi Day (3.14). This year our Maths

Ambassadors once again organised and ran a lunchtime Maths trivia quiz for

students. Congratulations to the winning team.

As part of the Pi Day celebrations, we also had 35 students participate in the

QASMT / UQ Problem Solving Competition held at UQ on Saturday 16 March.

The competition has traditionally been rigorous and challenging and is used to

select Year 11 students for the National Maths Summer School held in Canberra

during the month of January each year.

The QASMT Mathematics Ambassadors have had a very exciting and

productive first term of 2019. On top of organising the competitive Pi

Day trivia quiz during lunchtime, students have also assisted teachers

in mentoring Year 10 students for various upcoming Maths competitions

and challenges such as the Year 7 Maths club. Some of the

Ambassadors voluntarily ran lunchtime instructional sessions for

students around the use of a variety of Mathematics software and

websites that are useful for Internal Assessment pieces.

The Maths Ambassadors, along with the other QASMT STEM Ambassadors, have been offering lunchtime

tutorials to help students wanting extra support in Science and Maths subjects. Many of the Year 10 students





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took advantage of this support prior to their first Maths exam. The Maths

Ambassadors have continued the tradition of their weekly raffle which is

open to each grade and all staff by offering many challenging questions.

Finally, our Maths Enrichment Club for Year 10 students has been well

attended. Students have been preparing for the Mathematics Challenge

for Young Australians (Challenge stage, and Enrichment stage). This will

start early next term with the Maths Challenge which is open to our Year

10 and Year 7 students. The Year 7 Maths Club has been very fortunate

this year to have been visited a number of time by Dr Phil Isaacs from the

University of Queensland, who has run a variety of activities for them.

Russell Hams, Head of Department Mathematics and Data





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The Term in review from the House Dean of Agnesi

Term 1 has been an exciting time for Agnesi House. We welcomed a new cohort

of Year 7 and Year 10 students, together with some new INSTEP Mentors. The

Year 7 students, in particular, have brought real zest to the House and have

inspired us all with their enthusiasm for the new war cry. In terms of House

culture, we have launched the Purple Heart initiative, to acknowledge House

members who have demonstrated Agnesi values such as caring, principled,

respectful, of service to others and pursuing excellence in all aspects of life. We

hope that the Purple Heart award will continue to gain momentum over the

coming years.

Soon after arriving at QASMT the Year 7 students set out for camp in

Warrawee. The camp allowed the Agnesi students to get to know one another

and to challenge themselves on obstacle courses, high ropes and canoeing.

The Agnesi raft building was some of the best teamwork

and rope work I have seen on any camp.

We also participated in the National Day of Action against

Bullying. Our theme this year focused on not being a

bystander and being brave enough to call out any kind of

bullying even in the form of banter or joking. One person’s

idea of a joke can be hurtful to somebody else.

Agnesi was a sea of purple at the recent

Cross Country event. Thank you to

everyone who participated in the Cross

Country, running or walking around the

oval for the Walkathon. A special mention

goes to Mr Panousis and Andrei Pavel

who each did over 20 circuits of the oval

for the Blue Dragon Children’s Charity.

This week from Wednesday to Friday, our

Year 10 students are on camp in North

Noosa Shore. The camp is an excellent

opportunity to relax and have fun after a

busy first term. We also wish everyone

heading to Vietnam on the school Service

Trip a safe and rewarding experience.

I wish you all a safe and relaxing break and look forward to seeing you all again in Term 2.

Dr Aileen Davis, House Dean Agnesi





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The Term in Review from the House Dean of Curie

What a wonderful start to the year. Many of the concerned faces who

started the year have now turned to one of smiles, school life is settling well.

The Curie students did an amazing job on our Year 7 Camp, Mrs Sandy

Davey and I were very impressed with their manners, the way the students

supported each other and how each of our students chipped in to help get

the work done. The Curie Year 7 students did such a wonderful job

displaying attributes such as risk taking, caring and communication that

they, in fact, won the camp trophy – The Wooden Eagle. Each and every

student displayed these attributes.

Cross Country

The Cross Country this year was another success for Curie House, we came second on the day in a sea of

pink. Many of the Year 12 students really lead the 10, 11 and 7s through the importance of participation, the

spirit of our war cry and the need for us to raise money for a group of peers in society that are desperately in

need. Our sporting days at the Academy are not just viewed as a day to sit around and watch others

participate but instead focus on a strong sense of community, belonging and balance. Our students work

very hard and need to enjoy themselves as well as to do kind things for others. The house picture depicts

students from all year levels standing in the front line giving it their all and Curie house is all about this, it is a

house of heart.





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Important information reminders for parents/caregivers and students

Attendance

Every day and every lesson is important for students if they wish to achieve their academic goals. The target

is 97% across all year levels and Houses. The House Deans will be monitoring each student’s attendance

and addressing any patterns of absence or late arrivals as soon as they occur. All absences or late arrivals

must be supported by a phone call or email to our attendance officer. We value students being in the

classroom and will endeavour to provide the appropriate support of our students to engage them in learning.

Uniform

The uniform policy and requirements are clearly outlined in the 2019 Student Handbook. The uniform is to

be worn correctly at all times. This includes travelling to and from school and during sports and extra-curricular

activities. Any breaches in uniform will result in students attending a reflection session on Friday afternoons.

Should students require a uniform pass, they are to see their House Dean before school with a note from

home explaining the variation in uniform.

I would like to wish all of our community a wonderful and peaceful break and I look forward to seeing you

next term.

Jane Manwaring, House Dean Curie





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The Term in Review from the House Dean of Da Vinci

I can’t believe Term 1 is already over. The time has flown with so many exciting

things happening and Da Vinci students getting involved in everything.

Last week at our House Assembly we celebrated all the achievements for the

term and watched a wonderful video made by Codie. Leo, our mascot, showed

up everywhere around the school.

Our House Captain team of Sophia,

Kimberly, Tanu and Yuting were recognised

for their hard work this term in organising

activities that would ensure this year’s House

vision “To foster house spirit and create

meaningful connections within the House. To

“Feel the Fire and Raise the Heat”. They have organised a number of

activities like quizzes, scavenger hunts and war cry battles to encourage

some friendly competition between the Da Vinci INSTEPs as they battle

for the Intra INSTEP Trophy – The Draconian (shown in the photo left).

INSTEP IND05 is currently in the lead.

STEM Ambassadors were thanked for taking on leadership roles. We look

forward to hearing more about projects they are involved in for the rest of

the year.

Students were applauded for their Academic Awards for Term 4, 2018, representing the Academy at events

like Future Brisbane Challenge, AIMS International Women’s Day, Brisbane North Science and Engineering

Challenge, OzCLO competition, STEM Girls Power Camp and Environmental Club.

Da Vinci can proudly note that over 25 students are involved in school music groups like Choir, Wind

Ensemble and Big Band. Well done to all the students who put in many hours rehearsing. We also had Da

Vinci representation in every event for Gala Day.

Term 1 also saw the introduction of House Buddies for the Year 7s and a Spirit Team. Thank you to the

students who have volunteered to be involved in these new initiatives.

We ended our Assembly by acknowledging two students as our Dragons of the Term. They have been

excellent role models to other students with their involvement in school activities, academic results and

modelling the attributes of an IB Learner. Congratulations to Lurissa and Hazel.

One of the highlights for the term was the Cross Country (as seen in photos below). Da Vinci showed great

House spirit with a well drilled war cry and we were acknowledged as being in the top two. Unfortunately our

running skills were not as strong (we came last) – something we can definitely work of for next term’s Athletics

Carnival.

I wish all Da Vinci families a restful and happy break.

Jane Gorman, House Dean Da Vinci.





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The Term in Review from the House Dean of Franklin

What an exciting start to the year we have had in Term 1! Academically,

students rose to the challenge across all year groups. Year 7s are busy

submitting final assessments for the term, Year 10s got into the swing of

Academy life, completed SET Plan interviews and went to Camp at Noosa

North Shore. Year 11s settled well into the IB DP, Year 12s confidently

submitted their IAs for Language and are completing their IOC. Whilst the IB is

a rigorous curriculum, good time management, organisation and strong goals

can be a student’s best friend.

In terms of Positive Education and GROWTH, our focus this term has been on

building relationships. During INSTEP we have asked students to get to know

each other through a variety of activities, provided opportunities to make new

friends, develop curiosity, be mindful and cultivate strategies to de-stress.

House Spirit has been in the spotlight with excellent participation in our Cross Country and Blue Dragon

Walkathon event. It was an impressive sight to see everyone dressed in yellow, cheering our serious

competitors and raising money for a great cause. Franklin congratulates Newton on taking home the

trophy; however, Franklin House is particularly pleased to celebrate winning the war cry! I would like to

congratulate all of our runners who placed top ten:

Year 7 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12

Rachel Gao Emma Murphy Esha-Al Cader Tara Begus Samuel Wuttke Hugo Hung

Alejandro Pena Gonzalez (1st) Mason Pitman

Alex Garson (1st) Aiden Trevor Isaac Arli Rugved Pawar Cameron Woodley (1st)

Aryaman Chhaya

Please enjoy the summary of events this term as told by two of our Franklin students:

Year 7 Camp

Year 7 camp was a wonderful opportunity for everyone! The activities were really fun and engaging. They challenged us and helped us grow as IB learners. Camp was a great way to learn more about our House and our peers. There was also many interesting opportunities. The food was great and the staff took wonderful care of us. There were activities to suit everyone's likes and they really challenged us all. At camp, there were many challenges to overcome but we rose above them all. There was lots of friendly competition between Houses and teams contributed to House Spirit. But I believe all Houses did really well! Thank you to all the wonderful teachers! By Esha’al Cader (Year 7, INF02)





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Cross Country

On the Thursday of Week 8, the Cross Country Carnival took place which was a first ever for our new

House. During this day, many special memories were made, as we continue to build stronger bonds within

Franklin House. We cannot forget what made us proud the most: winning the loudest war cry. We all had

such fun.

Everyone had yellow on them, whether they were dressed in yellow outfits and/or had yellow zinc all over

their faces. Ms Oxenford’s makeup was absolutely the best - a lion, our mascot! It was amazing to see

everyone participating in the run and the Walkathon to gain House points. Although we did not come first,

we placed in the top three at third place. This is already a massive achievement for a new House,





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especially at our first Cross Country. Don’t worry, we still have many

chances waiting ahead of us. Thank you to our House Captain, Aneka,

for making wearable yellow streamers for us. We were more yellow than

ever, with more colour on than any other House!

On the day, the run and Walkathon was held for everyone to participate

with the option of their choice. It was a proud moment for our House to

see all the runners who participated, and the runners who made it into

District trials. We have gone so far already for our first event. During the

Walkathon, Franklin received a point each time the lion baton circled the

oval. It was exciting to see the lion head walk around so many times with

pride. After being in the hot sun for hours, thankfully we were able to buy

Zooper Doopers. This demonstrated our House Spirit and enjoyment of

the day.

The memory that will be held in Franklin’s history is winning the War cry.

Again, thanks to our Captains for the streamers and choreography, our

War cry was so extra and on another level. We were like a pride of yellow lions, crowding and roaring at the

top of our lungs. I have never heard anything louder in my life. Let’s keep up the fantastic work for the next

event too!

Lastly, I would like to give a special thank you to everyone who organised and helped organise this day.

We all had fun, and thank you to everyone who came and showed outstanding House Spirit. This day was

a huge success and it couldn’t have been like this without everyone. By Amie Bui (Year 11, INF04)

I would like to remind everyone that Term 2 and 3 are our Winter Uniform terms, so please be mindful of

Academy uniform expectations for our first day back as we will have a Whole School Assembly and

students should be in full formal uniform with blazers and black stockings for girls.

I hope that everyone takes a well-deserved break over the holidays and comes back refreshed and full of

energy for Term 2.

Kate Oxenford, House Dean Franklin





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The Term in Review from the House Dean of Hawking

Hello Hawking!

This Term has been a big one! Hawking has had lots of successes this term

and we were able to celebrate all of these in our Celebration Assembly in Week

9.

Year 7

This term we farewelled our Year 7’s for 3 days on their

first SMT school camp. Needless to say it was a huge

success! I am very fortunate to have such wonderfully

enthusiastic Year 7 students who really got into the

swing of things at camp, fully supporting their peers and

demonstrating fantastic IB learner attributes. We had 2

teams the Killer Carrots and the Courageous Carrots. Believe it or not our mascot is

in fact a tiger so I’m not sure where the carrots came from but the teams were

definitely in sync with one another!

Year 10

As we come to the end of the Term, our Year 10s are getting ready for Camp. Year 10 Hawking students

have coped incredibly well with starting the year at a new school and deserve some fun! This experience will

allow them to meet some new faces outside of their house and classes to build upon their social network. In

IBL it has been a pleasure getting to know them all and I look forward to the rest of the year with them.

Year 11

Year 11 Hawking students have started their Diploma Programme with maturity and dedication. They seem

to be getting into the swing of their DP subjects and have their first full exam block which can be daunting! I

wish them the very best of luck and hope they can reflect, rest and rejuvenate over the holidays.

Year 12

Our Year 12s had their Careers Mentoring Breakfast earlier in the term and not only were they treated to a

delicious spread of food, but they had the chance to meet some truly passionate professionals. I hope that

all students were able to take something valuable away from this experience and help them discover and

plan for their next steps after SMT. Best of luck in exam block and remember it is important to find time over

the holidays to rest. Think about some forward planning around what you have coming up in Term 2 and how

can you ensure you stay on top of things.

Tiger of the Term

Tiger of the Term is an initiative exclusive to Hawking House and is awarded to one

student each term. Students are allowed to nominate others if they wish and this term the

award went to Hannah Williams – Year 10. Hannah was nominated for her good-will and

caring, considerate nature when helping another student who was on crutches on the





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Year 9 Engagement Camp. This is a real demonstration of an IB learner - well done Hannah!

Do you want to be Tiger of the Term in Term 2? Think about how you can impress those around you!

Cross Country

Term 1 also saw us compete in our first House event at Cross

Country. The Student Leadership Team and their committees

have been working really hard to practice the war cry and

encourage house spirit. It was fantastic to see a whole bunch of

orange on that day and we really stood out! The House ran a

baton competition and huge congratulations goes to Emma

Collins for her winning design. It was fantastic to see it doing

many laps around the oval during the Walkathon. The students

showed great house spirit throughout the day and thoroughly

enjoyed themselves. I am looking forward to having just as much

fun and showcasing our talents in future House events!

I’m pleased to see that all Hawking students have settled in well

and wish them all a restful and pleasant break.

Should you need anything please do not hesitate to contact me on [email protected] or extension

number 382.

Rebecca Brown, House Dean Hawking






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The Term in Review from the House Dean of Newton

Congratulations on an excellent start to 2019, Newton House. As a team, you

have been welcoming, passionate, engaged and enthusiastic and as a result, we

have already had many successes, including an impressive win at the inter-

house cross country.

INSTEP Update

INSTEP classes continue to learn about health and well-being through the

GROWTH program. This term we have learned about developing SMART goals,

a process that will support all students to write personal learning plans at the start

of next term. We have focused on forming friendships and developing house

spirit, which was on full display at the inter house cross country. Additionally, we

have spent time learning how to stay both physically and mentally healthy during

periods of challenge and stress, a skill particularly important for the Year 11 and 12 students going into block

exams.

Attendance and Uniform

Well done on 97% attendance as a house this term, Newton. Remember, every day counts and with the

demands of the IB curriculum, it is absolutely essential that all students are attending every lesson to

maximise their learning and outcomes. If there are any concerns regarding attendance or catching up on

work missed, please contact myself or the class teacher to seek support.

A reminder that Term 2 and 3 is full formal uniform (blazers for all students and opaque black stockings for

girls.) If students have questions regarding the expectations, please consult the student handbook, see

myself or your INSTEP teacher.

Education Outside of the Classroom – Year 7 Camp

Term 1 has offered students a vast variety of experiences beyond learning in the classroom. Year 7 students

had the opportunity of learning and exploring through a series of challenges in a “survivor” setting with team

Newton displaying strong house spirit and healthy competition for the duration of the camp.

Newton Leadership team update: House Spirit and Cross Country by Meghaj, Neha, Molly and Caitlyn.

There is a reason Newton is the best at everything it does in this school. Every day, time and time

again, Newton shows up. In fact, not only does Newton show up, as a house we give 100%. This term

is has been no exception, the highlight being our performance at cross country. Newtonians both new

and established managed to maintain our strength and support for one another through this term.

This unity that Newton displays allowed us to win the 2019 Cross Country. Students and teachers

alike came together in a sea of blue to display our Newton spirit. Newton's participation and pride

during each race was admirable, and resulted in several participants being placed.

Special mention must go to placeholders (top 10 in their races):-

Year 7 - Mati Ella Sparksman (4th), Amy Jee (8th), Max Castles (1st), Ryan Nguyen (8th)





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15 Years - Olivia Hulme (2nd), Sky Kim (3rd), Maria Bezouglov (6th), Leah Easo (9th), Tirus Chan (3rd), Saayujya Deshpande (5th), Julian Sun (10th)

16 Years - Isabella Chapman (2nd), Chloe Arthur (4th), Emma Bures (7th)

Open - Tanisha Paruleka (2nd), Tanvi Paruleka (4th), Maggie Lee (6th), Alec Lyttle (2nd), Krupesh Machhi (3rd), Jack Flynn (8th)

Thank you again for your hard work and effort, my fellow Newtonians. I wish you a restful holidays and I look

forward to a successful Term 2.

Rebecca Skarshewski, House Dean Newton

Cross Country and Making Damper at Year 7 camp





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The Term in Review from the Guidance Officer

What an exciting term it has been for guidance at QASMT. Our Year 12 Career

Mentoring Breakfast was a wonderful opportunity for our seniors to engage with

professionals and academics from many vocations. The students learnt many

things about the realities and opportunities of life after secondary education. The

inspiring conversations have brought deeper insight and encouragement as they

seek to make their own pathways. We are very grateful to the people who

attended the breakfast as mentors and to many others who offered. Thank you

for your investment into the lives of our young people.

Our Year 10 students have also had the opportunity this term to explore the

possibilities for their futures. Over several weeks, they have considered the many

influences which may impact their pathways including personal strengths, values,

goals, interests and opportunities. They have spent time researching the labour

market and tertiary landscape. This has culminated with the development of their individual Senior Education

and Training (SET) Plan to map out their preferences for the next stage of their education. Each student has

attended an interview with their House Dean, IB coordinator or Guidance Officer to reflect on their SET Plan.

Thank you to the parents of our Year 10 students for talking with your student as they have worked through

this process.

Updates

The Options Career Bulletin which is published fortnightly will now be available on Daymap Depot in the

Years 10-12 Inner Core folders. The monthly From the GO Newsletter will also be stored here. I would

encourage you to browse these documents for updates on career and wellbeing issues such as tertiary

applications, scholarships, information days and study tips.

General

Remember, I am available to offer support across a broad range of issues impacting on student wellbeing. If

you have any questions or concerns regarding mental health, career pathways, university options (locally or

overseas), learning difficulties or general wellbeing, please email, call or make an appointment. I am generally

available from 8:00am - 4:00pm, Monday to Friday.

Katrina Judge, Guidance Officer





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The Term in Review from the P&C

Message from the P&C President

The QASMT P&C has had a great start to the year and we now have over 260 members. If you have not

joined the P&C, please use the application link below to join. It is a great way to stay informed and involved

in our school activities. We have some exciting projects on the go and would appreciate all parental support.

We are happy to report that following our AGM on 18 March 2019 we have a new P&C Executive

Committee:

Contact Email

President Doug Rosenberg [email protected]

Vice President

Michael Lyttle [email protected]

Secretary

Sheena Abraham [email protected]

Treasurer Annamaria Varga [email protected]

Last year the P&C launched a major fundraising drive to help support the school’s expansion plans with a

focus on sports court refurbishments. We are pleased to report the final figures are in and the P&C has

successfully raised over $106,000. A huge thank you to all parents who donated last year. Each donor will

receive a sandstone block with a personal inscription. A temporary wall will be soon constructed to show off

all the inscriptions. A permanent sandstone wall will be installed as part of the sports court refurbishment. As

a next step, the P&C will be coordinating the disbursement of these funds with the school during 2019/2020

in-line with school expansion plans.

As part of our fundraising initiatives in 2019, the P&C recently raised a $100 voluntary levy to create a P&C

Opportunity Fund to assist in funding initiatives prioritised by the school and the P&C. I am pleased to report

that we have raised over $20,000 to date with this figure rising each day as parents continue to pay the

voluntary invoice. The P&C has developed guidelines and an application form to start funding proposals with

a preliminary focus on capacity-building and increasing access for more students to participate in co-

curricular and school supported activities. Proposals for funding will be discussed and approved at each P&C

meeting. We hope to approve our first grants at the upcoming P&C meeting on 29 April.

Also new to 2019 is the launch of the Guest Speaker Series where QASMT staff are invited to discuss

various topics of interest. The Guest Speaker Series takes place 30 minutes before each P&C Meeting in the

Lecture Theatre. For our next P&C meeting on 29 April, the Guest Speaker Series will start at 5:30pm and

the topic will be: Instrumental Music, Education Outside The Classroom, Sport & Co-Curricular Activities.

P&C meeting to follow from 6:00pm - 7:30pm.









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News from our P& C Working & Support groups

Events Support Group

We had a wonderful turn out to our first P&C Social "Getting to Know You" gathering on 31March 2019. Please join our P &C Facebook page to keep up to date with upcoming events.

We are hoping to have a similar response for the Year 7 and 10 Parent Social.

Date: 5 April 1.00 – 3.00pm (approx.) Year 7 parents stop by before school pick up. Year 10 parents, camp will be returning to school @ 3:00pm so a great opportunity to stop by before you pick up your campers!

Venue: West Toowong Bowls Club (across the street from SMT). Cash bar and food. Casual attire.

Music Support Group

Our new Music Support Group (MSG) hit the ground running in Term 1. In collaboration with school staff, the MSG has already applied for several grants including the Community Gambling Grant and Yamaha Great Start Grant. Funds from these grants will allow QASMT to purchase much needed musical instruments to accommodate growth of our Instrumental Music (IM) Program. The MSG has also made a submission to the P&C Opportunity Fund to purchase musical instruments. This is a great P&C initiative and will certainly help build capacity and improve access to music education at the school.

This year the IM Program doubled in student numbers and several new ensembles were formed. Groups

have already performed at school events including our Open Day. A number of exciting performance

opportunities are planned for the rest of the year and students would love to have large audiences

demonstrating their interest and support. The next MSG meeting will be held 6pm – 7pm Tuesday, 30 April,

2019 in the HUP, QASMT. All welcome.

Robotic Support Group

The Robotics Program is off to a strong start with our experienced seniors stepping up to mentor the Year 7s

and senior students new to Robotics. A systematic program has been put in place to ensure all students have

a solid understanding of the basic engineering and programming concepts of the different Robotics platforms.

With our school expansion there has been a strong growth in the size of the Robotics Program at QASMT this year. The help accommodate this growth, the P&C Robotics Support Group has set a target to raise $10,000 covering the cost of new equipment and to support long-term sustainability initiatives such as the hiring of alumni mentors. The Robotics Program is also seeking to bridge the gender gap in STEM through a focus on coaching opportunities for our girls, which can be ramped up more quickly with additional funding.

We are off to a good start with our first fundraising event seeing families’ purchase discounted Education EV3 Core Sets, which will be ready for collection on Friday 5 April in time for the holidays. Our highly energised group of parents have also been looking for further fundraising opportunities, sponsorships and grants with the hope of increasing capacity and exceeding the initial target to allow even more students to take part in weekly Robotics activities. The Robotics Group plans to submit a proposal to the P&C Opportunity Fund to help build capacity and accommodate growth in the Robotics Program.





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Debating Support Group

QASMT has had great participation in the QDU Brisbane Secondary School competition during Term 1. There are five Year 10 teams with some students debating for the first time. Year 11 has four teams and there is one Senior A team. Round 1 and 2 have been completed with QASMT hosting a group of Year 10 debates. It has been a wonderful opportunity for other schools to use our facilities. Well done to all our teams and thank you to our parent and staff support.

Students, parents and staff attended the QDU State Selection Debate at UQ on Monday 25 March to support our Year 12 student Tanae Rao who was one of twelve students competing for a place in the state team. Tanae has incredible debating skills and we were fortunate to witness a fantastic speech and excellent delivery. We applaud his commitment and achievement to progress to this stage.

We look forward to parent support for the following rounds next term which will also include the start of the Year 7 debates for which we have eight teams. Planning is underway for a student/parent debating meet and greet.

Creativity, Activity & Service (CAS) Support Group

A call out was posted on the P&C Facebook page for parent volunteers to supervise QASMT students at

Vital Connection’s Soup Kitchen, run one Saturday a month for the year. Volunteers are still needed. Please

contact Beverley Rosenberg at [email protected] if you are interested.

Transportation Working Group

A team of dedicated parents have launched the Transport Working Group with the goal to identify priority issues and to implement practical solutions to our students’ transportation challenges. Next step: be on the lookout for a survey to all parents, students and staff that will help our group collect data to identify and prioritise our most critical transportation issues.

Doug Rosenberg, P&C President

Click on the links below to contact the P&C and learn more:

Facebook - closed group for parents, peer support/discussion, news, event details, resources, photos and

more

Join the P&C here - free and easy, be “inside the tent”!

https://volunteersignup.org/Q4Y9K - read about and sign up for P&C roles, large and small

P&C Intro - P&C Intro - an introduction to the P&C with key contacts


https://facebook.com/groups/qasmtpandc/

https://qasmt.eq.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Application-for-PC-Membership-2019.pdf

https://volunteersignup.org/Q4Y9K

https://qasmt.eq.edu.au/for-parents/pc-association/





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P&C Sponsors

The QASMT P&C would like to thank our sponsors below, who pay to advertise their services in our

Newsletter

Documents

The Term in Review from the Executive Leadership Team · 2019-09-05 · PO Box 303 Telephone: 07 3377 9333 Email: [email protected] 78 Bywong Street Facsimile: 07 3377 9300 Web: