O-News 16 June 2023 - Week 9

From the Principal's Desk

Dear Ormeau Woods State High School Community,

It's hard to believe that we're almost at the end of another semester, but it's been an incredible journey thus far. This year we have been maintaining a strong focus on continuing to improve student academic results and refine our curriculum and teaching of the curriculum to respond to our students’ needs. With the holidays fast approaching, we have some important information to ensure you're up-to-date on the latest happenings at our school.

ORMEAULYMPICS: 

We invite all students to compete or participate in the upcoming ‘Ormeaulympics,’ Ormeau Woods State High School's annual athletics carnival. This year's carnival will be held at our school, with exciting sports, activities and competitions scheduled to be held on both Wednesday and Thursday next week. Our dress theme for Wednesday is 'Disney' so students are encouraged to get creative and channel their inner Disney characters.  On Thursday students are encouraged to wear their house colours. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT REPORTS: 

We are pleased to inform you that student achievement reports will be emailed out next Friday afternoon. These reports are a vital tool to assess and improve students' academic progress, and we encourage all parents and guardians to review them thoroughly. If you have any questions about your child's progress, please do not hesitate to contact the school. 

As always, thanks for your continued support in making Ormeau Woods State High School a great place to learn and develop. Enjoy your holidays, and we look forward to seeing you back in Term 3!

Dan Murtas

Principal

Head of School update

Hello and welcome to the Head of School section of O-News,

Previously my O-News editions have provided an overview of senior schooling roles, responsibilities, priorities and progress.

With the promotion of Ms.Herbert to Principal at Shailer Park State High School, I now have the opportunity of supporting both School Principal Dan Murtas and all our families a little closer in my role as Head of School 7-12. Therefore, future O-News editions will take on a wider scope.

This week’s edition aims to provide families with an increased awareness of what has occurred and what awaits next semester for each year level. Forewarned is Forearmed.

Year 12 Students and Families

Students continue to work through school-based assessments, having already undertaken two Internal Assessments (IA1 and IA2) for all subjects. Currently, General Subjects have one more internal assessment (IA3) to complete by Term 3 Week 4. Students need to manage and prioritise their time during this busy time and avoid procrastination. After week 4, revision commences in preparation of the External Assessment (EA) exam block Term 4.

To assist students and teachers track revision progress Ms. Michelle Rivadenyra and Mr. Andrew Jenner have organised a Preliminary Exam block Term 3 weeks 9/10. Students will receive examination performance feedback to further support their revision.

Vocational and Applied Subject (IA3) also complete Term 3, with the final IA4 finalised by Term 4 Week 3. Year 12 studies and time in school completes at the end of Week 3 Term 4. After the exam block, Year 12's graduate and progress on to their next stage, either further education, vocational training or employment.

Year 11 Students and Families

Students have completed Unit 1 of their senior studies, securing interim results and points for QCE success (Queensland Certificate of Education). Mrs. Rivadenyra and Mrs. Kenny, year 11 Leadership Team, are currently collating and analysing student success. Discussions indicate that students have done very well. Student success is measured in their ability to achieve a minimum of a grade C in all studied subjects. Students typically studying six school-based subjects will receive a point for each subject at grade C+. A healthy 6/6 points, with English and Mathematics passed would be highly desirable.

Unit 2 has just commenced and will be completed by the end of Term 4 Week 3. Our year 11 students will then begin Units 3 & 4, Term 4 Week 4 for all General Subjects, to allow sufficient time leading into the 2024 External Examination block.

Year 10 Students and Families

Students have been participating in both compulsory and elective choice subjects that were selected in 2022.

Term 3 is a very big term for our Year 10 students and families. SET Planning and subject selection happens for the final time in advance of the two-year senior school programme. During Wednesday period 1 classes, students will be familiarised with the SET Plan process and career pathway opportunities. A number of presentations will be given by Heads of Curriculum and a Senior Curriculum Handbook will be uploaded to the school website. Key dates and events for families include Career Expo (8 August from 5pm) and SET Plan interview dates (28 August – 8 September).

Year 9 Students and Families

After undertaking NAPLAN in semester 1, our year 9 students have progressed with the intended curriculum. Next term, I anticipate the school receiving NAPLAN performance reports on literacy and numeracy capability.

During semester 2, our Year 9 students focus on career planning. I recommend and invite families to attend the Career Expo (8 August from 5pm) to gather information regarding career pathways and the senior schooling phase, including ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank), VET (Vocational Education & Training) and QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education).

Year 8 Students and Families

Semester 1 has seen the year 8 students progressing through the curriculum, developing the necessary skills and knowledge in preparation for the middle school phase, years 9-10.

During Term 3, students have the opportunity to elect subjects for year 9 in 2024. This is the first opportunity for students to specialise in subjects of interest. Mr. Dan Finn and Mr. Peter Lindsay will be supporting students and families through the subject selection process.

In addition to academic studies and career pathways, we recognise our role and responsibility in supporting students to be good human beings. At year 8, we continue to focus on the importance of Respectful Relationships as necessary relational skills required for social living.

Year 7 Students and Families

Our year 7 students are approaching the end of their first semester of high school. During that time, they have participated in NAPLAN and the Year 7 Camp. Ms. Libby Graves, Head of Year 7, has been very pleased and proud of how our Year 7 students have adjusted from primary to secondary.

In semester 2, students will continue to develop their literacy, numeracy and subject specific skills through the curriculum. Their personal and social capability development continues to focus on their Learning Styles and Effective Conflict Resolution.

Please note the important dates as mentioned in the specific year levels. Importantly, Parent Teacher Interviews occur Wednesday 26 July, from 3pm. I can’t impress on families enough to attend, meet with teachers and obtain feedback on your child’s progress.

Enjoy the holidays, stay safe and I look forward to sharing year level and student progress with you next term.

Matt Silcock

Head of School

XL Camp

On Monday 29 May, 80 of our Academic Excellence students travelled up to the beautiful Sunshine Coast’s APEX camp at Mudjimba for a 3 day leadership camp.  New friendships were formed and leadership skills learned while participating in canoeing, high ropes, orienteering, raft building, crate stack, radio rogaine and of course the mud pit.  Here is what our students had to say about their time on camp.

XL Camp 2023 was the BEST camp ever! I personally loved the variety of activities and the entertainment at mealtimes. The activities were amazing and having the opportunity to experience the vast variety was incredible. My favourite activity was canoeing because it allowed us some freedom out in the open waters giving students a chance to explore the channel. Another great activity was raft building. This encouraged us to develop our teamwork and communication skills within our groups. Mealtime entertainment with Mr Train was a highlight, enjoying jokes, having fun and lots of laughs.  Overall XL camp 2023 was tonnes of fun. It was an exciting and amazing opportunity to socialise with others and make new friends.  

Grace - Year 7

XL camp was a great opportunity to interact with students from year 7 to year 10. There were many activities such as high ropes, canoeing, crate stacking, orienteering and the mud pit, which all students were involved in. Being split into four different groups for the majority of the camp, everyone was able to meet new people from different grades and learn more about the people in their own grade. It was a great time and will definitely be one of the highlights of our year.

Isabella - Year 10

Sports News

CONGRATULATIONS to the following Ormeau Woods students who represented South Coast last weekend at the Queensland School Sport Touch Football State Championships. We are incredibly proud of these students and the great example they set for their peers.

Waimarie T, Harris B, Jai S, Dylan M

A massive CONGRATS to Waimarie T who was selected in the QUEENSLAND team. An amazing achievement for Waimarie and we wish her all the best on her QLD venture.

𝗩𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 – 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Our Senior Girls took on the Teachers this week to prepare for their upcoming Senior Schools Cup Tournament in Term 3.  It was a great match with some excellent rallies.  The girls really showed that they have acquired skills and strategy in their training sessions, which definitely paid off with the Senior Girls taking the first set against the Teachers 30-29.  Second set was cut short with time restraints but the score was tight during the time they had with the Teachers just peaking ahead on the bell.  Stay tuned for next term where both Senior teams will take on the Teachers one more time before their biggest tournament of the year!

One of our amazing year 7 students, Ngatai Bishop, competed in the State Title Little League Baseball Tournament in April, with his team winning the Grand Final. Last week Ngatai’s team represented Queensland at the National's Tournament in Blacktown, Sydney, placing 9th overall!  Well done Ngatai, what an amazing achievement! 

Year 10 Fashion

This year grade 10 Fashion have chosen to make children’s clothes for their Sustainability unit.  Their chosen charity has been 'Baby give Back' who provide essential baby products for families in crisis.

Students have recycled adults clothes and turned them into garments suitable for children between the ages of 1 and 6.  We also had leftover fleece and made tracksuit pants and jumpers to go with our donation.  The grade 9 design class have also contributed by designing children’s shirts donated previously to the school.

On Wednesday Mr Parnwell and I had the ultimate pleasure to accompany students to Varsity Lakes to tour the 'Baby give Back' site.  The ladies who volunteer were thrilled with the clothes we donated and so excited to see the students.

At present, 'Baby Give Back' are currently in need of high quality boys clothes, nappies, carseats, onesies size 0000-0 so if you have any donations that you could give, please drop them off to the school as we will be taking down more during the holidays.

Congratulations grade 10 Fashion ladies – you should be so proud of your efforts!

Thank you Ms Brashaw

PB4L

Effective Classroom Management

Active Engagement

At OWSHS teachers use a variety of strategies to actively engage students. Active engagement is one of the most effective behaviour management strategies as it brings the focus to the learning activities, resulting in a decrease in disruptive behaviours and increased on-task behaviours.

Providing students with multiple opportunities to respond is an effective way to increase active engagement and has been shown in studies to improve academic outcomes. Use of opportunities to respond includes presenting materials, asking questions, checking for understanding and other interactions with students. Teacher talk should be limited to less than 50% of the time to provide more opportunities for student interaction.

Indicators of student engagement

• On task behaviours
• Positive emotions towards learning
• Personal investment in learning
• Attention to learning and instructional activities

Teachers can scan the room and identify specific students who appear to be disengaged to ensure high levels of classroom engagement. The teacher can do this during whole-class or small-group instruction as well as during individual seatwork. Once a student is identified, the teacher should use specific interventions to re-engage the student.

eSport

The Ormeau Woods State High School eSports team participated in the second annual Queensland Minecraft Cup at Villanova College in Brisbane on Saturday 10 June. The event pits a team of 5 players against one another in a game of Capture the Flag within the Minecraft game where anything goes. Players used their creativity, strategy, and skills to outsmart, outwit, and outcompete their opponents. The Ormeau Woods eSports team included David T, Charlie O, Allira P, Levi R, and Jack F.

The Ormeau team completed the round robin portion with two wins and one loss, coming in second place. In the semi-finals, Ormeau lost a close match in the first round to Faith Lutheran College.

The sportsmanship on display was excellent, with each team exchanging congratulations and “GG”s (Good Game) after each match.

Mr Cobler

2023 Gold Coast State Secondary Education Ball

Goodluck to our three Ormeau Woods SHS nominees for this years Gold Coast State Secondary Education Ball & Excellence Awards being held on Saturday night.

Mrs Libby Graves – Excellence in Secondary Education Leadership

Mrs Margaret Barnes – Excellence in Educational Support

Mr Bronson Tham and the Woods & Tails program – Excellence in Innovation

We are so proud to have these amazing, dedicated members of our Ormeau Woods staff recognised for their hard work and commitment to providing students with every chance of success. We wish you all the very best on the night but regardless of the outcome Ormeau Woods SHS is lucky to have you all. Good luck team!

Finance News

Important Finance Information

Student Resource Scheme

The Student Resource Scheme (SRS) is a user-charging scheme operated by schools to provide parents with a mechanism to access individual student resources that are not funded by the government.

Government funding for schools does not extend to individual student resources and equipment for their personal use or consumption. 

Parents not participating in the scheme must provide their student/s with all items that would otherwise be provided by the SRS as detailed on our website.

The annual $250 for 2023 Student Resource Scheme is now overdue, if still outstanding on your account, settlement of this would be appreciated as soon as possible.

iPad Purchase Program

The purpose of the iPad Purchase Program is to provide the Parent/Guardian with a cost effective alternative to purchasing an iPad, through providing access to departmental-owned iPads purchased at a reduced cost through the school’s bulk purchasing practices.

After signing up to the program, the commitment from the parent/guardian is to ensure they comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement.

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.

Parents/Guardians can negotiate a payment plan based on their circumstances.  Regular payments are required, and will be monitored by the school finance department.  The iPad could be locked again if not complying.  Please note there may be data loss due to this process.

We thank families who are up to date with finances at Ormeau Woods SHS.

Any finance queries, including overdue accounts/invoices and lodging of payment plans, please contact the school finance team finance@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au

Health Hub

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

Ormeaulympics

International Homestay

The Department of Education trading as: Education Queensland International (EQI) CRICOS Provider Code: 00608A

Some questions about Homestay:

Q. Can the students speak English? 

A. This may vary but yes, they will speak basic English when they arrive. The goal is to improve by having conversations with you!

Q. Can visiting students use public transport to get to and from school? 

A. Yes, they can, so long as they are accompanied by their homestay brother or sister!

Q. Does a Blue Card cost me money? 

A. A volunteer Blue Card is entirely free and should be held by every member in the household, over the age of 18 years old.

Q. Do I need to have a child at your school? 

A. While it can help with buddying up our international students, members of the community are welcome to apply to become homestay providers.

Winter Uniforms

With the weather starting to get cooler, this is a friendly reminder of our Winter Uniform policy. All school uniform items can be purchased at School Locker either instore or via their website.

Any student in incorrect uniform are to report before school to the Student Advisor’s office in Innovate building.

3878 Pacific Highway, Loganholme Qld
Phone: 07 3440 9710
www.theschoollocker.com.au

Tutorials

Ormeau Links - Community Business Alliance

Key Contacts

QParents

As new features become available within the QParents app, OWSHS are asking families to please signup to the app if you are yet to do so.

To start the process you will require a school generated invitation. This would have been sent to you when you first enrolled at Ormeau Woods SHS. If you no longer have access to the invitation you can send an email to qparents@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au and request a new invitation. (𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴)

Within the QParents app you have quick access at your fingertips to information like -

- student and attendance details,

- behaviour information,

- report cards and assessment planners,

- student timetables and upcoming events,

- invoices and payment history,

- and online consent forms.

QSchools is also a fantastic app to have at your fingertips.  Here you can access school calendar events, newsletters, staff contact and receive important notifications from the school.   You can download QSchools at anytime, this app does not need an invitation to join.

General School Information

EARLY PICKUP REMINDER

Please ensure that if you know in advance you need to pick your child up early, that you send notice through so we can issue a leave request to your child to minimise interruptions and delays. 

Leave Request’s 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 are needed at the office for collection. We can then issue a ‘Leave Request’ pass. Students can then show their teacher the pass, and at the nominated time come and wait at the office for your arrival.  

If the pick up is unplanned we ask if you can please phone ahead so we can have your child ready and waiting for your arrival.

You are still required to sign your child out before they can leave school grounds. 

Please call (07) 5540 9222 or 
Email info@ormeauwoodsshs.eq.edu.au

STUDENT DRIVERS

Any student of legal driving age that holds a current drivers licence who intends to drive to school, either on a regular basis or occasionally must comply with school policy, read and complete the Student Driver Agreement Form including parent/caregiver permission and return to the school Administration Office.

CARPARK REMINDER

Please use the designated drop off and pick up areas and parent car parking zones for the safety of all staff and students.  
Please be reminded to follow road rules at all times.  Do not enter the bus lane at any time, perform illegal    U-turn’s at the bus lane entry, or unsafe U-turn’s in Minka Lane.  We appreciate your support in making our roads and school safe for everyone.

Safety is more important than convenience.

QUEENSLAND SCHOOL CALENDAR

Stay up to date with all the term dates, public holidays and student free days across the year by printing a copy of the 2023 Department of Educations State School Calendar.

Wesley Holiday Programs