Ormeau Woods State High School eNewsletter

From the Principal's Desk

Dear Ormeau Woods Community,

Impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred

I hope this message finds you well. In the wake of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your understanding and support during these challenging times. As you would know, after a five-day closure, we successfully reopened the school yesterday, allowing our students to resume their learning in a safe environment.

I would like to acknowledge the tireless efforts of our key staff members who worked diligently to ensure the school was ready to welcome back our students. Your patience and understanding regarding the daily communications about the school's status were greatly appreciated. While I recognise that earlier updates would have been ideal, please know that information was shared as promptly as possible.

I am aware that many families are still facing the challenge of being without electricity at home. Your resilience and commitment to ensuring students can attend school during this time are commendable. It has been heartening to see students and staff return to their routines, and we are nearly back to full attendance, which is crucial for our students' learning progress. TC Alfred has also affected the timing of the NAPLAN testing period for our students in Years 7 and 9. Testing was scheduled to commence last Wednesday; however, this will now be scheduled to start on Monday and finish on Thursday next week.

Attendance & Punctuality – A Key Factor for Success

I would like to extend my gratitude to parents and caregivers for their continued support in ensuring students arrive at school on time for our 8.30am start. We have observed weekly improvements in punctuality, which positively impacts student engagement and learning outcomes.

However, I must address an area requiring immediate attention: Friday attendance. Our data indicates that student attendance on Fridays is 10% lower than on other weekdays. This trend affects student learning and lesson continuity. We seek the support of all parents in addressing this issue, as consistent attendance is vital for academic success.

Together, with strong home-school partnerships and a shared commitment to excellence, we can make 2025 a year of exceptional student achievement. Thank you for your continued support in fostering a positive and high-performing learning environment for our students.

Warm Regards,

Dan Murtas

Principal

Head of School Update

Reaffirming Our Commitment to Excellence

As we set our sights on 2025, we remain focused on delivering the highest quality education for our students. Our key academic goal for 2025 is to achieve 55%+ A-B grades across all subjects. This reflects our dedication to continuous improvement and ensuring every student reaches their full potential.

Strategic Focus: High-Impact Teaching

To drive academic excellence, our core strategic goal for 2025 is a commitment to High-Impact Teaching, with a specific focus on three areas:

The Third Teacher – Ensuring our learning environments are designed to maximise engagement and success.
Feedback – Providing timely and effective feedback to students to support their progress.
Visible Learning – Empowering students to take ownership of their learning and understand their progress.

Our leadership team is actively supporting this initiative by conducting twice-daily classroom visits, targeting specific year levels based on faculty historical data and improvement goals. This ensures that our teaching strategies remain aligned with our school-wide mission of increasing A-B achievement rates.

Visible Learning and Student Progress

Through our Learning Walks, we are pleased to see that most students can articulate what they are learning and why. Many students are also able to discuss their progress and next steps for improvement. Our executive leaders provide regular feedback to Heads of Department to further enhance Visible Learning strategies within classrooms.

We know from research and practice that students who can answer Lyn Sharratt’s Five Critical Questions perform highly in assessments:

What are you learning?
How are you doing?
How do you know?
How can you improve?
Where do you go for help?

A key insight from our learning walks is that students who struggle to articulate “What are you learning?” often face challenges in assessments. Addressing this gap remains a priority as we strengthen our teaching practices.

Supporting All Learners through High-Quality Teaching

We are committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their starting point, benefits from high-quality pedagogy. Our teaching staff continues to refine their approaches to meet the diverse needs of all learners, reinforcing our belief that every student can achieve success with the right support and strategies.

Kind Regards,

Matt Silcock

Head of School

Key Contacts

Sponsorship Announcement

We are thrilled to welcome RE/MAX United as a Gold Sponsor of the Ormeau Links Business Alliance program! 🌟

A huge thank you to Peter, Julian and the team for their generous contribution to the Arts Excellence program at Ormeau Woods SHS. Their sponsorship will help support creativity, innovation, and new opportunities for our talented students in the Arts.

We are proud to partner with a business that values the importance of artistic expression and community engagement. Looking forward to an exciting journey together!

In the Woods

𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝟭𝟬 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

Students in Year 10 science are working through a physics unit investigating Newton’s Laws of Motion.

As part of their studies, students have been investigating the relationship between distance, velocity and acceleration through the use of ticker timer tape and toy cars so they can observe how the velocity of the car changes depending on the acceleration of the car.

Students had fun varying the speed at which the cars travelled and seeing the resulting dots on the tape change before using their data to calculate the velocities at each point.

Great work Year 10!

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗬𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗬!

Last week, our 2025 School Captains had an incredible opportunity to travel to Sydney and collaborate with 12 leadership professionals from Commonwealth Bank at their head office!

This hands-on experience is helping our captains refine their leadership skills and gain valuable insights into:

Crafting standout job applications & interview techniques

Mastering the art of delegation

Navigating challenging conversations with confidence

Enhancing their ability to influence and persuade

Discovering life hacks for maintaining wellbeing

A huge thank you to Commonwealth Bank for supporting our future leaders on their journey to success!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗼𝗦𝗫

Last week our u12 Girls, u12 Boys, and u16 Boys VETO Futsal teams did Ormeau Woods SHS proud at Gala Day 1, kicking off the competition season with determination and heart!

Despite facing tough opponents, our teams played with pride, passion, and competitive spirit. A huge shoutout to our AoSX parents for their support on the sidelines!

Well done, team! On to the next challenge!

𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞, 𝗜𝗞𝗘 & 𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗟𝗔𝗡!

We were thrilled to welcome back Ike and Lachlan at our Principal’s Honours Breakfast earlier this term, where they shared their incredible achievements and future pathways with students and parents.

Ike has been accepted into the University of Queensland, where he will be studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) & Bachelor of Science.

Lachlan is heading to Griffith University to pursue a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours). We are also incredibly proud to share that he was awarded the Griffith University Vice Chancellor’s Academic Achievement Scholarship and secured membership in the Student Academy of Excellence!

Their hard work has truly paid off, and we couldn't be prouder. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for these outstanding young men!

𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝟵 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡!

Students in Year 9 science are currently completing a chemistry unit. As part of their studies, students have been involved in a variety of experiments investigating different chemical reactions where they were trying to identify the signs of chemical change to indicate that the reactants had changed during the reaction to form new products.

𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝟭𝟮 𝗔𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗦 - 𝗙𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Our Year 12 Aquatics students spent the day yesterday at The Spit, gathering primary data for their recreational fishing assessment. With lines in the water across three different locations, students tested their skills, tackled a few snags, and even landed some catches!

A special shoutout to Laila-Jade for reeling in the first fish of the day, Amali for her impressive (but tiny!) estuary cod, and Janessa for keeping the seabirds well-fed!

Now, it's time to analyse the data and determine the best fishing techniques for The Spit to increase your chances of catching a fish!

𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗨𝗚𝗕𝗬 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗢𝗦

Our Year 9/10 Academy of Rugby League students had an unforgettable experience, traveling to Red Hill to see firsthand how a professional NRL team operates.

Thanks to the legendary Mick Hancock, our students toured the facility, gained insight into the life of a professional Rugby League player, and had the opportunity to watch an intense training session in action.

To top it off, some of the Brisbane Broncos players took the time to meet our students, making their day even more special!

A huge thank you to everyone involved in providing this incredible opportunity!

𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘𝗦

33 of our Academy of Football (Soccer) Excellence students participated across two of Football Queensland's Refereeing Courses on Monday.

In the morning, we had 7 students participate in the Mini-ref course and in the afternoon, we had 26 students participate in the Junior Match Official Level 4 course.

The students will now be able to earn money officiating matches for their clubs! Great work team!

Finance News

Curriculum vs Extra-Curricular
Curriculum invoices include:
* SRS/Student Resource Scheme – 2 weeks Overdue
* Academy Program Fees – 2 weeks Overdue
* Subject Levies – Due by Friday 28 March

Curriculum invoices are to be paid or on a registered payment plan with the Finance Office, prior to eligibility for Extra-Curricular activities.

Extra-Curricular invoices include:
* Incursions and Excursions
* Sporting events
* Camps and Overseas trips
* Year 10 Soiree, Senior Jersey and Year 12 Formal

iPads
2023-2025 iPad Purchase Program – SRS and iPad final invoices Overdue
2024-2026 iPad Purchase Program – SRS and iPad annual instalments Overdue
2025-2026 iPad Purchase Program – SRS Overdue

QParents
QParents is a wonderful way to keep an eye on all things finance with your student’s school account. If you haven’t already, I strongly encourage families to sign up for QParents as soon as possible, to be well informed of invoices, credits, due dates and more. Invoices remain accessible on QParents until paid – once paid the invoices will no longer show on the app.

With all payments, preferred method is BPOINT, using the individual Invoice Number and Parent CRN Number – www.bpoint.com.au/payments/dete . For easy access, you can click on the link at the bottom left of all invoices.

Further queries regarding Finance? Please make contact via finance@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au

IT Department Update

IT Department - Important Message: Student VPN Usage

A reminder to all students that VPN usage is NOT ALLOWED on the school network. As per the ICT/BYOD Agreement, seeking access to any blocked applications or attempting to bypass websites by bypassing the Department of Education’s Proxy Filtering system by using hotspots or VPNs is prohibited.

As a result of this, any students detected using a VPN on the school network will lose access to all ICT resources, including school emails, WiFi, and computer logons. The incident will be logged on their OneSchool record and may receive additional disciplinary action.

We are constantly monitoring the school network regarding the online security and safety of students and the learning environment.

Health Hub

RISE AND SHINE WITH BREAKFAST CLUB!

Bring your appetite and kick off the day with a burst of energy and a side of fun in the Brekkie Club!

Tuesdays and Thursdays at the PAC, and on Friday’s head to Southern Amenities, from 7.45am to 8.25am.

The Brekkie club is all about starting the day with great food, good friends, and a whole lot of laughs, so come along and join the fun!

Academy Applications NOW OPEN

Applications for all our 2026 Excellence Academies are now open!

Don't miss the opportunity to be part of one of our outstanding programs.

Visit our website for program information and download your application form.
https://ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au/curriculum/excellence-programs

For further enquiries, please contact the Excellence Academies email: academies@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au

Applications close 3.00pm Friday, 25 April – be sure to submit yours on time!

P&C News

Hello from the P&C,

Hopefully everyone has settled into the new year and weren't affected by the impacts of TC Alfred and stayed safe!

Thank you to Mel and Canteen Team for keeping up top service.

The year has kicked off strong, with our first supported event being Wheels in the Woods.

It was a fantastic event! The presenters, the car owners, the students (it was a photography assessment event) and the community all had a great time. Thank you to Steve and the Arts Department, as well as Mel, Karen and the Canteen support team for making it a wonderful day.

The P&C will be focused on the following for 2025:

Ormeau Woods State High School P&C - Our Why

The OWSHS P&C cares about the students of OWSHS and seeks to provide opportunities that enable each student to develop individually to be better humans and therefore to take their place in bettering our Australian community.

2025 Strategic Plan

Deliver P&C "Our Why?" through increased School and Parent Connection and Participation

Objectives

* Expand P&C Membership

* Develop new P&C Executive Team members for 2026 and beyond

* Support Canteen Team to achieve their goals, targeting income of $750K with at least 18% profit return to P&C

* Secure funding for MPC Kitchen - Phase I delivery 2025, Phase II delivery 2026

* Engage with School Executive and HOD to find a whole of school P&C Budget to support our Why

* Deliver Oval Storage Shed in 2025

New year, time for the P&C AGM!

We would love to have you join the P&C – the more people that share their skills and experience, the stronger the P&C is in delivering our Why.

If you wish to nominate for an executive role, please use this form.

The AGM will be held Monday 31 March at 5.30pm in the Resource Centre.

We have also changed our meeting day to the third Monday of the month, still planned to be held at 5.30pm in the Admin Building.

Many people said this will be better overall and we hope that more people can take some time to support the P&C actions for 2025.

The meetings are scheduled as follows:

Monday 17 March
Monday 28 April
Monday 19 May
Monday 16 June
Monday 21 July
Monday 18 August
Monday 15 September
Monday 20 October
Monday 17 November (last meeting of the year)

Finally, a note about the P&C Sports Travel support program. The P&C offers support for students who participate in state level sport. Opportunities are limited so please email the P&C pandc@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au for more information on how to apply for support.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting.

Have an Awesome Day!

Rob Newton

OWSHS - P&C Secretary

Every Day Counts

Please take a moment to review our Attendance Policy within the Student Code of Conduct and follow the correct procedures at all times, including when arriving late to school.

If a student will be absent or late for any reason, a parent or guardian must notify the school using one of the following methods:

📞 Call the Absence Line: (07) 5540 9266
📲 Send a Text Message: 0427 248 087
📧 Email: absences@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au

If a student is absent without prior notification, a text message will be sent to parents/guardians. If you receive this message, please respond directly with the student’s name, and reason for the absence.

Your cooperation helps us maintain accurate attendance records.

https://ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au/our-school/policies

QParents

If you haven't already, download it now! It's a game changer for managing all your student/s school information.

Invitations have been sent to families who still need to set up their account. This will have the unique access code required for setting up your account. If you haven't seen the email please check your junk box or email qparents@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au to have it resent.

For more information about QParents and how it can save you time please visit HERE

*Please note - If you would prefer not to upload documents for identification when setting up your account, simply visit our friendly staff in the Administration Building where they can verify your documents and confirm your account without the need to upload.

Enrolment Information Evening

We are thrilled to invite the Ormeau community to step inside our gates and discover what makes Ormeau Woods SHS an incredible place to learn and grow!

Explore hands-on curriculum activities
Enjoy live student performances
Meet our dedicated staff and leadership team
Experience the vibrant school culture first-hand

This is a must-attend event for families considering Ormeau Woods SHS in 2026!

Be sure to mark Wednesday 26 March 2025 - 5.00pm to 7.00pm on your calendars and stay tuned for more details coming soon.

Early pick up Process

If you know you will be collecting your student/s up early, please arrange a Leave Request, or phone ahead to advise you are on your way to collect a student. This saves on waiting times and interruptions on class learning.

Leave Requests can be arranged at the office by both students and parents. Information needed is; the reason for the early pickup, and the time the student/s is/are needed at the office for collection.

We can then issue a 'Leave Request' pass.

(Note: if parents call or email, please remind your child to come to the Student Window to collect their Leave Request).

Students can then show their teacher the Leave Request, and at the nominated time come and wait at the office for your arrival.

Parents MUST still come to the office (Student Counter/Window at the back of Administration) and sign students out before they leave school grounds.

Please call (07) 5540 9222 or email info@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au if you have any questions

Tutorials

iPad Purchase Program

https://ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au/curriculum/bring-your-own-device

Second Hand Uniform Donation

Do you have old uniforms that are just collecting dust? We're on the lookout for generous donations of uniforms to assist families and also to stock up our school's uniform room. Your support can make a significant impact!

Whether your children have outgrown their uniform, or perhaps finished their schooling journey, we'd be immensely grateful for your contribution.

We simply ask that you drop off any donations to the main Administration Office.

Let's come together as a community and ensure every student has access to the uniforms they need. Thank you for making a difference!

Ormeau Links - Community Business Alliance

Ormeau Links has undergone an exciting revamp throughout 2024, and we are looking forward to building even stronger connections with local businesses in 2025.

If you are a business owner seeking opportunities to grow your brand, engage with local families, and build meaningful connections within the Ormeau community, we invite you to explore a partnership with us.

Together, we can create a mutually beneficial sponsorship arrangement that supports your business goals while enhancing educational outcomes for students at Ormeau Woods State High School.

Our Sponsorship Invitation outlines the impactful role our school plays in the community, our standout excellence programs, and how sponsors can integrate their brand with ours. This is an opportunity to grow your business and make a lasting connection with our students, their families, and the wider community.

For sponsorship enquiries please email ormeaulinks@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au to arrange a meeting.

O-News 14 March 2025