O-News 27 March 2024

From the Principal's Desk

Hello Everyone,

As we come to the end of the first term, I am excited to reflect on the wonderful events that have taken place at our school over the past month. In addition to the successful Open Evening, we also had a fantastic Harmony Day celebration last week that truly showcased the diversity and unity within our school community.

Last week, our students came together to celebrate Harmony Day by embracing and sharing the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our school. It was a joy to see students from different backgrounds come together to celebrate diversity through food, music, and dance. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all the students, teachers, and staff who worked together to make our Harmony Day celebration a resounding success.

I am delighted to share with you the success of our recent Open Evening event. Last week, we opened our doors to the community for a night filled with student learning demonstrations, performances, and engaging activities that truly showed what Ormeau Woods State High School is all about. The Open Evening was not only a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate their learning and skills, but it was also a wonderful chance for our community to come together and experience the vibrant and dynamic environment that is Ormeau Woods State High School. I extend my thanks to all the students, teachers, and staff who worked tirelessly to make the Open Evening a huge success.

Our school is also working on the development of two more academies of excellence programs to commence in 2025. These programs will be, both boys and girls rugby league and soccer academies of excellence. I am excited to announce that so far, we have secured the support of the Brisbane Broncos and the services of rugby league legend Ben Hannant to coach our rugby league academies.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to Ormeau Woods State High School. Have a great holiday break and I look forward to sharing further progress and success with you next term.

Warmest Regards,
Dan Murtas
Principal 

Meet the Staff

Introducing our Amazing Heads of Year

Jessica England - Head of Year 7

This is my 20^th year working for Education Queensland.  I have worked across many Gold Coast and Logan schools and this is my 5^th year at Ormeau Woods State High School.  My passion lies in the area of student support.  I am committed to improving outcomes for all students and changing and shaping futures for the better.

I enjoy continually enhancing my skills and knowledge to better support others and have a passion for engaging in ongoing learning experiences. By continuously expanding my expertise, I strive to provide even more effective support to students, colleagues, and the broader educational community. I firmly believe that a commitment to lifelong learning is essential for fostering positive change and improving outcomes for all.

On a personal note, I enjoy being a mum to two teenage boys, camping, fishing, motorbike riding, generally being outdoors and reading a good book while relaxing at the beach.

James Ulcoq - Head of Year 8

Ormeau Woods State High School is where I started my education career more than seven years ago as a HMS/HPE teacher passionate about getting kids involved in the sports that I loved and providing them with health to serve them on their life’s journey.

Currently, within my role as Head of Year 8, I have traded the sportswear for more formal business attire. You may also see me around school in outdoor workwear and work boots through my role as an agriculture/horticulture teacher within our intervention curriculum, supporting students through project based learning. 

Having the opportunity to work with our diverse range of students and staff in supporting them to become the best version of themselves is what drives me and provides constant motivation to maintain a standard of high performance in all aspects of life.

Seeing our young people achieve success and build their futures is incredibly rewarding and a great privilege.  

Although my career direction has gradually led me away from the sporting scene, I am still heavily dedicated to my own physical fitness and performance. I can often be found after work lifting at the local gyms and can often be seen out running around the streets of Ormeau keeping up my cardio. If you see me out and about in the community feel free to say g’day and have a chat or give me a friendly beep from your car as you drive past! Becoming integrated with the parents and students has been a highlight of working at this school and I have always felt welcomed and supported by this awesome community.

I look forward to building on the success of our school and its students in 2024 in what is a great place to work and learn!

Peter Lindsay - Head of Year 9

I started teaching in a primary setting 31 years ago and spent my first 20 years in the primary sector, the last 11 being in a high school setting.  I have been in many schools and conducted various roles, from taking Prep classes half an hour a week, to Deputy Principal. Across that time I have taken the opportunity to gain something from every setting and the colleagues that I have come across.

I first worked at Ormeau in 2013 as a Teaching and Learning Advisor and left for another opportunity in 2016.  I returned in 2021 as a Head of Department and have strived to inspire the teams that I lead to invest in themselves and the students that they teach, to create well rounded future citizens that have opportunity and choice. Strong working relationships with staff, students and families is what I am about.  2024 will be another year of change and development for the Ormeau Woods family, one which I look forward to being some part of.

I am a proud father of 2 quality young men 24 and 21, and have been married for (I had better get this right!) 28 years. I enjoy the NRL and especially Origin and any sport really. On my time off I like to tour, go to the beach, fish and see places that have a strong history or nature. I enjoy entertaining around the pool and BBQ at home with friends and family also. I enjoy construction work in my shed and have a flourishing garden at home full of bromeliads and roses.

Liana Tufuga-Mika - Head of Year 10

Talofa Lava,

Growing up in South Auckland, New Zealand, I take immense pride in my Samoan and New Zealand heritage. Sports have been a significant part of my life, ranging from cricket to soccer, and even a brief stint in squash. However, my true passions were in gymnastics and netball, where I not only played but also began coaching and officiating at a young age.

My journey into education wasn't something I initially envisioned. I pursued a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Exercise Science/Physiology and gained experience in the hospitality industry as a Restaurant/Bar and Event Manager. However, life's adventures led me to teaching, a path I have now been on for 14 fulfilling years.

Throughout my career in education, I've held various roles such as Netball Excellence Coordinator, Dean of Students, Head of House/Year, and most recently, the formation of our Cultural group Tu Tangata here at Ormeau Woods. My overarching mission is: I am dedicated to empowering every student by providing a sense of value, a safe space, opportunities to discover their passions and purpose, and the chance to realise their immense potential.

I am excited to continue this journey of nurturing and guiding our students towards a bright future.

Fa’afetai

Andrew Jenner - Head of Year 12

I am here to help students progress on meaningful pathways and to support others to achieve their goals so they can be proud of their success.

As a student, I was fortunate to have encountered numerous exceptional teachers who served as inspirational figures. All of them were the type of teachers who cared more about me as a whole person, rather than just the result I got on my last test. This is what propelled me towards a career in education and set the standard for the educator I aspire to be.

At university, I studied Drama and English secondary teaching. From there, I have taught in a wide variety of subject areas (Drama, English, Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education, Humanities, Religious Studies, Art, Music and Dance) in a couple of schools on the Gold Coast and for a year in Victoria as well.

This is my 3^rd year at Ormeau Woods State High School. Outside the walls of the school, I love being a part of the broader Ormeau community. My two boys play for the Ormeau Bulldogs Juniors and I’m down at the footy club most afternoons. I enjoy camping, hiking and getting outdoors as much as possible. When I do have to stay indoors, I love going to the theatre or playing board games.

We had a whole lot of successes to celebrate in the senior school last year. I’m excited to work with our senior students and staff to help them reach their goals and get to where they want to go.

Excellence Applications

Open to current and new students in 2025.  Please visit the website for more information on how to apply. www.ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au/curriculum/excellence-programs

Join the P&C

𝗣&𝗖 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗚𝗠 

  Rescheduled Date: Tuesday, 16 April

  Time: General Meeting at 5:30pm | AGM at 7:00pm

  Location: Resource Centre, Ormeau Woods SHS

5:30pm - General Meeting: An opportunity to discuss various matters concerning the OWSHS community.

7:00pm – Annual General Meeting: Dive into the heart of the Parent and Citizens' Association (P&C) as we reflect on the achievements of 2023 and plan for the future.

𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀

We are actively seeking enthusiastic individuals to join our P&C Executive Team. If you're passionate about making a positive impact within our school community, this is the perfect opportunity for you! Role descriptions can be found below with all seats being declared vacant at the end of the General meeting.

Be part of the team that plays a vital role in enhancing the OWSHS experience. Your involvement matters, and your voice will shape the future of our school community!

All are welcome!

Bring a friend and be a part of the OWSHS P&C family!

See you there!

In the Woods

𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦

Recently, Ocean C, Ryder C and Ethan G represented Ormeau Woods SHS at the Rocky Trails Schools Comp in Nerang. It was a great day competing against schools who have travelled from all over the Gold Coast and Greater Brisbane Region to compete. Competitors were given the day to finish three different tracks with the best times being submitted for their final scores. Congratulations to Oceana, Ryder and Ethan for their amazing attitude and how they represented the school, and a big shout out to Oceana for finishing third in the Year 11-12 Division Girls!!!

𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝟭𝟬 𝗩𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

Year 10 students have been designing and then implementing vehicle safety features on a model car as part of their student experiment. Using technology to measure impact forces, students must determine the most effective safety features modelled by their vehicle and report on its effectiveness, using collected data and newly acquired knowledge of Newton’s laws of motion and other physics principals. Their assessment was finished in week 9 of term 1.

𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗠

Students from Years 7 to 10 have begun preparing for their upcoming STEM inter-school boat building competition!

Industry experts from the Gold Coast Manufacturing Hub graciously shared their knowledge on boat building with our students. After an informative discussion our students set out on their first task working in teams. They tackled the challenge of constructing the tallest tower out of spaghetti, and marshmallows.

Now, we'll be honest – it was an extremely hot day, and those mischievous marshmallows weren't exactly cooperating, but it didn’t dampen the spirits. We were thrilled to witness all teams working in perfect harmony across all year levels, showcasing the power of collaboration and determination, mixed in with a bit of fun.

Soon, these teams will come together to embark on the next phase: building their very own boats!

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𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧

What an incredible evening we had in the Woods! We were thrilled to welcome future students, their families, and members of the community to our Enrolment Open Night. It was a night filled with excitement as we showcased everything our school has to offer.

Our dedicated staff and enthusiastic students were on hand to share all the fun and exciting things that happen each day within our classrooms and beyond. From innovative learning experiences to vibrant extracurricular activities, there's something for everyone here at Ormeau Woods SHS.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and made the evening so special!

If you are interested in one of our exciting Excellence programs in 2025 please visit our website for all the details (current students are also welcome to apply if Year levels apply - https://ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au/curriculum/excellence-programs

Let's continue to inspire and empower one another as we embark on this journey together!

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𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬 𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

Harmony Day was a fantastic morning filled with delicious food, captivating entertainment, and a wonderful sense of unity. Our students truly embraced the diverse cultures from around the globe, showcasing the beauty of inclusivity and acceptance.

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to making this event a resounding success!

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𝗥𝗨𝗚𝗕𝗬 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

Last week, our Rugby League teams had an incredible training session led by new coach, Ben Hannant! Many of you may already be familiar with Ben's impressive background, having played for the Broncos and also proudly representing Queensland and Australia in Rugby League.

With such an experienced coach on board combined with our current OWSHS coaching legends, we're looking forward to witnessing the growth of all teams throughout the year and beyond.

Go Eagles!

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Tu Tangata Shines at Harmony Day Celebrations!  

We're thrilled to share that our talented Tu Tangata group had the honor of performing at Harmony Celebrations hosted by Careers QLD Australia - NDIS and Norfolk Village State School this year. For many of our students, it was their debut on the big stage, showcasing their vibrant culture and talents.

A special thank you to Careers QLD for not only extending the invitation but also treating our students to a fantastic spread of cultural food. Your support and appreciation mean the world to us!

Looking ahead, we are excited about our upcoming collaboration with Norfolk Village State School. Next term, our students will be leading cultural workshops for Year 4-6 students, fostering mutual learning and appreciation for diversity. Stay tuned for more exciting updates!

Health Hub

Who you will find at the Health Hub:

Guidance Officers

The service enables students to successfully balance an increasingly broad and challenging range of educational and developmental issues that face them in their progress through high school. These issues can include career goals, parent-adolescent relationships, grief and loss, peer relationships as well as mental health concerns.

Within the school the Guidance Officer works with other members of the Student Support team, administration and teaching staff for the benefit of the student.

Chaplain

Support includes: Brekkie Club, lunch time activities, Anime club, program delivery, 1:1 support, group intervention & social emotional support.

Indigenous Support officer

Support includes: Attending classes, assisting with assessments, social emotional support, Indigenous program delivery, 1:1 support & cultural connection.

Psychologist

This service enables students to access up to 10, weekly or fortnightly psychological intervention sessions at school. Presentations may include various anxieties; mild to moderate trauma; panic disorders; low mood and depression; stress management; resilience; self-esteem and confidence.
*This support can be accessed through the Guidance Officers.

School based Youth Health Nurse

The Youth Health Nurse can assist students in the following areas;

• Healthy eating and physical activity
• Feeling unhappy or stressed
• Relationships
• Sexual Health
• Smoking, alcohol and other drugs
• Personal and family problems
• Growth and development

Student Support Officer

The Student Support Officer can assist students in the following areas;

• Relationships
• Stress
• Promoting well-being and coping strategies
• Building resilience and positive wellbeing through workshops and programs
• Resources and other support service referrals

Health Hub Teacher Aide Support

Support includes: Attending classes, assisting with assessments, social emotional support, program
delivery, 1:1 and group contact

Health Hub Admin Officer

Student triage, ‘Chill out’ support & supervision, monitor students Health Hub attendance, Liase with teachers to organise student work while in Health Hub

Programs on offer:

Chase the Sun

‘Chase the Sun’ program is a 10-week program aimed to help improve the lives of young people, providing them with a strong foundation of selfawareness, self-confidence, and mindfulness to assist empowerment both within schooling time + their future. The program combines Yoga Philosophy + Mindfulness tools in an approachable and enjoyable way, empowering their potential for pursuing their aspirations.

Transitions Program

Supporting students who are disengaging from OWSHS to transition to training; work; alternate education. 

Esports

Students participate in a vibrant, interactive and participative space. This structure provides social opportunities and a sense of belonging that can evolve into friendships and improve social outcomes for students who wouldn’t typically seek the opportunity to socialise outside of class. Events are incursions, excursions, lunch & after school.

Mission Australia

One on One Program for students at risk of homelessness. Support includes Housing, Centrelink set up including transport to appointments, advocacy, home mediation. Further assistance available depending on individual circumstances.

Deadly Choices

“We aim to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families – to stop smoking, to eat good food and exercise daily. Deadly Choices also encourages our people to access their local Community Controlled Health Service and complete an annual ‘Health Check’. In Aboriginal slang, if something is ‘deadly’ it is great. As such a Deadly Choice is a good choice, and we encourage community to make such choices each day”. https://deadlychoices.com.au/

Chic

CHIC is a workshop designed for young women between the ages of 11 and 15. It uses various fun, challenging activities and related discussion where participants explore issues including identity, self-worth, respect for others, relationships, bullying, social justice and conflict resolution. The sessions are interactive, and groups will be small (6-10 participants), to give the students an opportunity to explore these issues among peers, in a challenging but informal environment.

Stepping up

Improve young male health and wellbeing. We work with groups of boys and young men to increase their
resilience, empathy, and respect for self and others, and in doing so work to reduce the rates of suicides,
mental health issues, antisocial and risk-taking behaviours.  Our goal is to mentor and develop their critical-thinking and decision-making skills, as well as normalise a definition of masculinity beyond "strong" and "stoic" to improve young men's relationships with themselves and those around them.

If you find yourself in need of extra support, there are lots of places you can contact for assistance.  Please also reach out for support from the Guidance Officers and the Health Hub team here at Ormeau Woods SHS at any time.

Win a Broncos Jersey

To celebrate the new Excellence programs on offer in 2025 we are raffling a signed Broncos Jersey!

Tickets can be purchased at the school office during school hours until Week 5, Term 2 2024.

Tickets are $5 each (cash only) and for any new Enrolments to the school for 2025, you will receive an additional 5 entries if your Enrolment paperwork is received prior to Week 5, Term 2.

Goodluck everyone!

Finance News

Student Resource Scheme

The annual $250 for 2024 Student Resource Scheme is now overdue.  If still outstanding on your account, settlement of this would be appreciated as soon as possible.

Subject Levies

Certain subjects in Years 9 to 12 have various levy costs to cover subject-specific resources.  If still outstanding, settlement of these invoices would be appreciated as soon as possible (due 28 March).

iPad Purchase Program

This is a reminder to participating families to please ensure they comply with the signed iPad agreement, adhere to their chosen payment option and not allow payments to lapse.

Thank you to all our families who have paid the Student Resource Scheme, Subject Levies and iPad Purchase Program invoices for 2024, or who have been in contact with the Finance office and set up a payment plan.

We strongly encourage families who have not put a payment plan in place, to contact Accounts Receivable on finance@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au or 07 5540 9222 option 4, to set this up. Parents/Guardians can negotiate payment plans for curriculum invoices, based on their individual circumstances.  Regular payments will be required via 1) CentrePay, 2) Direct Deposit or 3) Direct Debit, and will be monitored by the school finance department.  

Please note that if fees are in arrears and no plan in place, iPads in the Purchase Program may be disabled to prompt further payment from Parents/Carers.  Unfortunately, this can cause loss of data and distress for the student, so to avoid this action please ensure payments are up to date.

Further to this, if fees are in arrears and no plan in place, extra-curricular activities such as sporting events and overnight tours/excursions may be withdrawn, and non-curricular items such as sport-specific uniforms and Senior Jersey may not be able to be purchased.

Event/Activity/Date                                                    Amount                       Due Date

Student Resource Scheme (Curriculum)                     $250                            Overdue

Subject Levies (Curriculum)                                         Various                        Thu 28 March

iPad Purchase Program (Curriculum related)              Various                        Overdue

For any finance queries/matters, please contact finance@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au at any time.

IT Department

Important Message: Student VPN Usage

We have detected a large number of students using an app called “SkyVPN” that bypasses the Department of Education’s website filtering and security systems. Students are currently using this app on their iPads to access blocked apps and websites during school hours. This is a breach of the OWSHS ICT/BYOD Agreement and the Education Department’s secure operating environment as the network is for educational use only.

VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) route all of a user’s online activity through to their servers to bypass any firewalls or filters. In this instance, SkyVPN offers a free service in exchange for data being collected for real-time analysis as well as being stored. This software is created by an overseas company and any data collected will be stored overseas and subject to the rules and regulations of the country where it is stored. It is also been reviewed as untrustworthy as it logs your IP address and fails to encrypt web traffic. This is a major security and privacy risk to students as their personal data is being processed by a third party while using this app.  It is possible that this app may also be used by students to circumvent parental controls and filters.

As per the ICT 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 SkyVPN 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 the student and a parent/carer must complete and return the ICT Agreement again to regain access to the school network and ICT resources.

We are constantly monitoring the school network to ensure the security and safety of students and the learning environment. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at IT@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au.  Thank you for your co-operation.

For more information on the iPad Purchase program please visit:

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

Every Day Counts

Tutorials

International Homestays

Ormeau Links - Community Business Alliance

School Locker

All school uniforms can be purchased online with Free Shipping until the store re-opens.

https://theschoollocker.com.au/schools/ormeau-woods-state-high-school/uniforms