O-News 3 May 2024

From the Principal's Desk

Hello Everyone,

Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,

I am delighted to share with you the remarkable progress and achievements we have witnessed at the start of Term 2. Our school is privileged to have robust systems, processes, and a dedicated team that is committed to nurturing every student's potential.

Our exceptional educators have been adapting their teaching methods to cater to the diverse needs of our students, offering both extension opportunities and intervention strategies where necessary. The collaborative efforts of our staff, who work closely with students, teachers, and families, have been instrumental in guiding our students towards successful career pathways. Already this year, we have celebrated numerous success stories, with students securing early career opportunities.

I am pleased to report that the student achievement reports from Term 1 have shown significant improvement. We have observed a notable increase in A-C achievement data and a remarkable rise in Year 11 and 12 student performance, compared to the same period last year.  As we strive for continuous improvement, specific initiatives are underway to enhance our academic standards for the upcoming Semester 1 reports.

I am excited to announce the nominations of our outstanding staff members for the prestigious Gold Coast Educational Excellence Awards. The winners will be revealed at the Education Ball on the 8th of June at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. Congratulations to the following nominees:

- Glen Armstrong: Excellence in School Leadership Award

- Jack Johnson: Excellence in Secondary Teaching Award

- Deb Lederhose: Excellence in School Support Award

- The WSIT Team (Joel McCarthy’s Team): Excellence in Innovation Award

Lastly, I extend my gratitude to all students who have applied for our academies focusing on Academic Excellence, Sports Excellence, and Arts Excellence. The application process has now concluded, and selections based on testing, trials, and auditions will commence shortly. I wish all participating students the best of luck in this selection process.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the success of our students. Together, we will continue to inspire excellence and achievement at our school.

Warmest Regards,
Dan Murtas
Principal 

Carpark

Friendly Reminder:

The MPC carpark is strictly for Staff Entry Only – no drop-offs or student parking allowed.

It is crucial for everyone's safety, so please use the designated drop-off zone and student parking area in the Minka Lane carpark.  Let's keep our campus safe for all.

Thank you for your cooperation!

In the Woods

𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗬 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗨𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦

Our Academy of Dance Industries students participated in a workshop with Amira Mollenhauer to learn their routine for the 2024 Resonate Competition at the Australian Dance Festival.

Our dancers will be flying down to Sydney in September to represent Ormeau Woods SHS at this world renowned dance festival. As well as competing, all students will participate in a weekend full of workshops with both national and international artists.

𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝟳 𝗔𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗖 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 - 𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘

Year 7 Science are studying a physics unit this term. Students have been busy investigating the different types of forces and the effects they have on objects. Non-contact vs contact forces have been compared and forces such as; magnetism, electrostatic and gravity, have been observed through a variety of practical activities.

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𝗔𝗡𝗭𝗔𝗖 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗦

Students and staff united to honour the courageous sacrifices of our ANZAC heroes. A heartfelt thank you to Mr Pithie for his inspiring stories and guidance to our exceptional cadets who did an outstanding job. The choir and band added a beautiful touch to the assembly, making it a truly memorable morning.

Lest we forget.

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𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘀 – 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

This week, our Year 10 cohort had the incredible opportunity to engage with industry experts from our community. These professionals generously shared their journeys from high school to employment, offering valuable insights into different pathways and career options.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Peter Catanzariti, Principal at Ray White; Senior Constable Michael Coleman from QLD Police; Sarah McLennan, Talent Acquisition and Learning Development at Village Roadshow Theme Parks; Emma King from Riviera Australia; Mya Halloran from Multiplex; Mary from Fulton Hogan; Phoebe Guy, Nurse Manager; for dedicating their time to inspire and guide our students. Their advice and experiences have sparked curiosity and ambition in our young minds.

If your child feels inspired and wishes to explore work experience or delve deeper into a particular profession, please reach out to either Liana Tufuga-Mika, Head of Year 10, or Linda Whyte, Industry Liaison Officer, via email. We're eager to facilitate these enriching opportunities for your child's future success.

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗬 𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦

It has been a culturally enriched week here at Ormeau Woods State High School as we welcomed students from Penabur Paskal High School, Indonesia!  They had the opportunity to explore different subjects across our campus as a group and also joined classes with their Ormeau Woods Buddies, gaining a firsthand experience of life in an Australian school.

As they bid farewell today, we wish them a safe journey home and hope their time with us was enjoyable and memorable. Until we meet again!

𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦

Congratulations to Angel B in Year 8 on her incredible Equestrian achievements!

Representing Queensland in the PCQ Show Jumping Equitation Championships over the school holidays, Angel secured 2nd place in the 70cm Jumping Equitation for the 13-26 age group and received 1st place overall for the Zone 2 Gold Coast team.

But that's not all!  Last weekend Angel represented Ormeau Woods SHS and placed 3rd in the 80cm Show Jumping class for 13-26yrs.

What a stellar performance!

𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦

Recently, at the U14 State Championships baseball tournament on the Gold Coast, Robert (Yr 9) and Ngatai (Yr 8) proudly represented South Coast. Despite the grand final being abandoned due to weather, their team clinched the Silver.  Robert's outstanding pitching and batting earned him a spot in the U14 Queensland team and in July, he'll jet off to Southern California for an international world series with a team from New Zealand.

Ngatai also shone at the Baseball Queensland State Titles tournament, where his Gold Coast Baseball Association Intermediate team claimed the gold. Now they're set to compete for the national title in May.

Congratulations to both boys on their remarkable success! Their dedication with four training sessions per week since January has truly paid off. We can't wait to hear more about their future triumphs!

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

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.

SECOND HAND UNIFORMS NEEDED

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 ask if you can drop off any donations to the main Administration Office during office hours. Let's come together as a community and ensure every student has access to the uniforms they need.

Thank you for making a difference!

Finance News

iPad Private Treaty

Families who are purchasing their iPads through the school’s iPad Purchase Program, have the $5 Private Treaty payment due now.  This is for ownership to transfer and for the device to be released from our IT management system. 

Once the SRS and iPad invoices are paid in full (including the $5 Treaty), the device is released from school management for student’s own personalisation, whilst still covered under the school warranty until the end of the program.

Thank you to those families who have their accounts up to date and Treaty paid.  IT are releasing devices now once notified by Finance.

**Please ensure all finances with the school (SRS, iPad, SL invoices) are up to date.

Extra-Curricular Payments

Curriculum invoices (SRS/Student Resource Scheme, iPad and SL/Subject Levies) must be paid or on a registered payment plan, prior to eligibility for extra-curricular activities.

Extra-Curricular invoices may include sporting events, incursions & excursions, camps, Soiree, Senior Jersey and Year 12 Formal, for payment after Curriculum invoices are paid or on a registered plan. 

QParents

Want to keep up to date with your student’s school financial account?? Join up to QParents!!   

If you haven’t already, I would strongly encourage families to sign up as soon as possible, to be well informed of invoices, credits, due dates and more.

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

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

Canteen

Would you like to join our Canteen as a volunteer?

If you can spare an hour or two once a week/month (or more) between 9am - 1pm Monday to Friday, we would love to have you join our fun and energetic team.

Please contact Mel via email canteen@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au for more information or to express your interest.

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!

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