22 April 2016

Newsletter Articles

“Cavendish Road State High School - A School of Academic, Pedagogical and Sporting Excellence”

THE PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

Dear Parents and Carers,

ANZAC Commemorations

Our School commemorated ANZAC Day on Friday 22nd April in the Hall with students from Year 7 and 8. On Monday 25th April our students and staff will be involved in two different services, locally at Holland Park and also in the city. Best wishes to our Band and Mr Tony Lashmar who will lead commemorations in Brisbane City. I will join the Year 9 and Year 12 Prefects in the community march on Monday at 6.30am at Holland Park.

Parent Teacher Evenings

Parent Teacher Evenings held recently to discuss students’ mid Semester reports were a great success. I thank all parents for their commitment to and support of student’s students’ learning as we continue to work together to ensure all students achieve their potential.

Astro Turfed Areas and Seating for Students

Additional shaded seating for Year 12 students has been completed and astro turf (artificial grass) will be placed on the east side of L Block to help beautify this area. There will be limited disruptions to learning. Thanks to Brad and Gary for their leadership and hard work in the grounds and for their support with these initiatives.

Painting Works to Begin

The Department of Education, Training and Employment has granted us $200 000 to improve the presentation of some of our buildings. This money will need to be expended before the end of this financial year. Work will get under way quickly and I will ensure minimum disruptions to learning.

School Cross Country Carnival

Special thanks to the HPE staff responsible for the Cross Country Carnival last Thursday. It was a great afternoon of attendance and participation. The staff have been asked to provide feedback to the HPE staff as we are deliberating about the best model for future years. For your interest, all students engaged in their normal Thursday timetable of all four lessons, however each lesson was reduced to 35 minutes duration.

Cav appears on The 7.30 Report

In 2015, a number of Cav Year 7 students and their teachers had the privilege and opportunity to work with the Queensland Brain Institute and The University of Queensland in a unique research project that measured students’ psycho-socio responses to different teaching methods used to teach Science. The students wore metric readers that measured their physiological, psychological and social responses to a range of teaching strategies on a number of occasions. The information gathered provides interesting feedback to teachers about their teaching but more generally provides some significant data about the most effective and successful teaching strategies to be used in the teaching of Science. This has incredible future opportunities for us as a profession and may be important in increasing students’ interest, engagement and success in Science and Science professions, important for the global success and economy of our country. Congratulations to the staff involved and to the Year 7 students for their courage and commitment to ongoing and continuous improvement.

The story should go to air in the coming weeks.

Open Day

Open Day was a great success. We welcomed nearly 1000 parents and students to experience the highlights of our school during the morning and afternoon sessions. Our visitors were impressed with our demonstrations and the information we presented.

Year 7 2017 Enrolment Afternoon

On Tuesday 12 April the Strategic Leadership Team and the Academy Directors interviewed nearly 200 students and their families who wish to enrol at Cav Rd in 2017. I have made an offer to approximately 165 students so far. Our next enrolment interview afternoon has been booked out and the third and final enrolment afternoon is already half full. It is pleasing and encouraging to witness the number of our teachers who are choosing to send their children to Cav Rd in 2017.

Visit from China

Ms Masselos and I hosted a delegation from China last week. The Chinese continue to be very impressed with our school. As we know they offer significant investment opportunities in Queensland and I envisage our enrolments will continue to increase from this area of the world.

Enrolment Update (Male vs Female)

In 2016:

Female – 694 – 44%
Male – 892 – 56%

We have 198 more boys in the school than girls. Please refer to the below table to view the historical data and the improvements made in 2016.

A= Active; F = Future

Corrine McMillan
Principal

Enrolments for 2017

On Tuesday 12 April, many families attended the school’s first enrolment afternoon. The next enrolment afternoon will occur on Tuesday 21 June between 2 and 6 pm. If you are considering an enrolment for 2017, please phone the school office on 33940777 for an enrolment interview booking. The school is accepting enrolments from families living in catchment, siblings of current students as well as applications for enrolment in the various ACADEMIC and SPORTING academies including:

• Maths
• Science
• Ideas (Philosophy)
• Jazz Music
• Netball
• Touch Football
• Football.

Auditions for the Jazz Music Academy and trials for the various Sporting Academies will occur in early June. Please note that the SIBLING rule has recently changed. Siblings of students in Academy programs do not gain automatic entry into the school and need to apply through the enrolment process.

Meryl Johnston
Associate Principal

Harvard University Scholarship awarded to Principal

Congratulations to our Principal, Corrine McMillan who was recently awarded a fully funded Scholarship to Harvard University. Corrine is one of only three Australians awarded this scholarship in 2016. This remarkable achievement will enable Corrine to study at this most prestigious University in Boston and undertake a nine day course in Educational Leadership offered by the Harvard Graduate School of Education – Principals’ Centre which ultimately will benefit state school education in Queensland and Cavendish Road State High School. Well done, Corrine.

Meryl Johnston
Associate Principal

Student Attendance – School Target = 95%

Thank you to all families for your support in Term 1 in lifting students’ attendance rates. As you are aware, research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance at school is associated, on average, with higher student achievement.

I am pleased to share with you our attendance rates for Term 1.

The winners of the random prize draws for attendance in Term 1 are:

Thank you to the families who consistently communicate absence information to the school. I ask that all families notify us as soon as possible if your child is absent form school either by phoning the school or by email attendance@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au.

*Please note that the attendance phone number has changed to 33940736. Thank you for your support as we work together to help your child achieve their potential at school.

Meryl Johnston
Associate Principal

Parent/Teacher Interviews -Tuesday 19th and Wednesday 27th April

Please be aware school will finish at 2:30pm on these days. Supervision of children will be provided on ‘A’ parade.

I would like to say thank you to all the parents and carers who continue to connect with our school, taking the time and effort to attend the variety of our school functions and showing their continuing support of their child’s education, pathways and future.

Recently we invited parents/carers into the school for the first of our annual Parent/Teacher interviews. 1674 interviews were scheduled between 2:40 - 6:30pm and conversations around student progress, attendance, learning styles, improvement strategies and the setting of academic goals were discussed. As a result, students will be better equipped to confidently tackle the academic expectations for term 2 because open conversations and planning helps everyone involved. By establishing a learning plan, identifying academic goals and implementing through targeted academic strategies, students can work their way to success. The first night was another success with a large attendance of supportive families, carers and staff.

Cavendish Road SHS says thank you and we look forward to continuing our work together throughout 2016 in providing exceptional education, support and direction for every student. Every one of our students needs to be well informed at home and at school, to ensure they work towards attaining the required knowledge, skills, attitudes and qualifications in order to embark on the career of their choice.

Paul Cox
Deputy Principal – Year 7/8

Aspiring Women in Science Conference - Friday 15th and Saturday 16th May

Ella Grimley (Year 12), Alicia Williams (Year 12) and Mia McChlery (Year 11) attended the annual Aspiring Women in Science conference held at St Aidan’s Girls School. The students heard keynote speeches from Professor Judith Clements, a biochemist (QUT) and Professor Leonie Callaway, an obstetric physician and Head of the Royal Brisbane Clinical School (UQ). They also had the opportunity to hear from other inspiring female scientists who are part of the local and international scientific community.

The presenters at the conference came from a wide variety of STEM backgrounds such as Engineering, Marine Biology, Mathematics, Medicine, Meteorology, Physics, Psychology, Technology, Embryology, Zoology to name a few. These scientists told the story (the highs and the lows) of their career journey, presented a snapshot of their scientific research and also provided sound advice for young women wishing to pursue a career in the STEM fields.

Ella, Alicia and Mia thoroughly enjoyed the conference and they highly recommend that any senior girls interested in a STEM career should attend in 2017.

Stacey Hollis
Senior Biology Teacher

Ella, Mia and Alicia at Aspiring Women Science Conference.

Year 8 Science on ABC TV

Last year a number of Year 7 Science classes took part in a collaborative project with the University of Queensland and Queensland Brain Institute. The researchers had the goal of bringing together experts in the fields of cognitive psychology, neuroscience and education to try and understand the science behind successful learning.

On Monday, ABC Television’s 7.30 came to Cav Road to do a story on this ground breaking research. Thank you to 8D Science and Ms Whittington for agreeing to take part in the filming in our Y-Block science lab. Thanks also to Connor, Bianca and Lucia from 8C who ventured out to The Science of Learning Research Centre at UQ to have their brainwaves measured! For more information on the project be sure to keep an eye out for these budding TV stars on 7.30 in the coming nights.

Ian Mitcham
Acting Head of Department - Science

QATSIF Scholarships

The Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation, known as QATSIF, is an independent public trust established to provide young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders with a secure funding source to assist students in their senior years of education. QATSIF's initial capital was created through the toil of previous generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders. This capital has been invested by QATSIF's Trustee, the Public Trustee of Queensland, and the annual interest provides an income stream for scholarships and bursaries.

QATSIF’s QCE Scholarship Program provides scholarship funding to support students undertaking Year 11 and 12. The intention of the funding is to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student retention in Years 11 and 12 rather than simply sustain existing retention rates. Eight Indigenous students at Cavendish Road SHS – Nathan Christensen, Morgan Knox, Lindsay Bowles, Kerry Hill, Joel Downey, Isabella Tedeschi, Isaak Spletter and Elizabeth Cowburn - have been awarded Round 7 QCE scholarships from QATSIF. Six of these students recently represented the school at the QATSIF New Recipient’s Celebration at All Hallows College on 10 March 2016.

Kym Ford
Indigenous Liaison Officer

“Scholarship recipients – Elizabeth Cowburn, Isaak Spletter, Kerry Hill, Joel Downey, Isabella Tedeschi and Nathan Christensen - at the recent Round 7 New Recipient Celebration.”

Academic Excellence excursion to UQ

On the last day of term one, fifty intrepid Year 8 students journeyed to UQ in order to “Meet the Dead”. After previously completing a 5 week unit on Forensic archaeology, our budding Indianas and Laras were challenged to dig, identify and analyse a variety of different materials in order to hypothesise what had occurred.

We were given access to the university`s teaching labs as well as the dig sites used to assess first year university students. Students had a great time uncovering an ancient burial scenario as well as using modern technology to solve the mysterious death of a young Brisbane man. Having been explicitly taught both the content and the skills in our Forensics program, the students really impressed the university staff with their thinking skills and reasoning. Overall, it was a great day and the students are to be commended for their fantastic behaviour and attitude to learning.

Morgan Stebbings
Academic Excellence Program Director and
Strachan Kosanovic
Head of Department- Humanities

Academic Excellence Program Update

Term 1 is always a big term, getting back into the swing of school for both teachers and students. For Cav Rd it also meant the launch of the new Academic Excellence Program after school sessions. This past term has shown that our students have hit the ground running and show no sign of slowing down and we could not be more excited and proud of them. Here is the term in brief.

Firstly, our Year 7s participated in the Nature of Science program where they were introduced to the inductive nature that is the foundation of Science. They faced the often frustrating realisation that with many things in science we can’t simply do a test and determine if we were right, we can simply determine if something is not wrong currently, and there is in fact a difference between the two. Faced with a question, our budding scientists seized the task of designing their own experimental investigation to accurately measure lung capacity and determine if there is a possible correlation between lung capacity and height. These young minds took to the challenge like professionals, developing interesting methods to gather data, all the while making quite a splash. Who ever said science was not fun has never been to an AEP session because we have never seen so many smiles in a science lab!

We also launched the highly anticipated Forensic Archaeology program, a collaboration between our faculties of Science and Humanities. As an introduction students learned the ways in which we use forensic science to help gather information from a scene or specimen. They were taught the techniques of DNA analysis, blood typing, dental indentation recognition, the chemiluminescence of crime scene blood and more. They used these techniques to solve a cleverly orchestrated investigation into ‘Who Stole Ms Stebbings’ Canadian Flag?’ a detailed activity put together by our amazing Science department. At the end of 50 minutes a majority of the students had pieced the clues together to determine that Mr Kosanovic was the culprit behind the theft. The weeks to follow were spent introducing the group to a very real ‘Cold Case’ piece by piece, allowing students to use the pieces of information to formulate a theory into what had happen to the Ice Man we know as Ötzi. The truly incredible part was that our young Cavroadians came to the same possible conclusions as the real investigators working on this famous case, which is still not solved by the way, making it the world’s oldest possible homicide. The 5 week program was culminated in a whole day excursion to the University of Queensland.

Finally we had our Excelling Minds Math Initiative with our year 7s. This program gave students an opportunity to expand their math ability through solving challenging logic problems based in real world settings. Not only did these sessions engage our students but they also gave the young minds excellent preparation for their Naplan tests coming up this term.

Overall to call this term successful would be an understatement (we may be biased but don’t just ask us, ask the kids) and we cannot wait to see what incredible moments come out of term 2. Up next we have Archaeology and a second round of Excelling Minds Maths Initiative for our year 7s and Pseudoscience and Ultimate Maths Challenge for our Year 8s. Stay tuned for more articles to come on the next chapter of the AEP.

Morgan Stebbings
Academic Excellence Program Director / Philosophy and Chemistry Teacher

Pi Day Competition – 14th March or 3.14

The 2016 STEM prefects asked students for their best representation of Pi. Congratulations to Hugo Scott, Lucia Bulmer and Bianca Dwyer from Year 8 for their winning entry “Me, myself and Pi”. Enjoy your “Pi” purchases with your tuckshop voucher prizes.

Me, myself and Pi.

Senior School News

Firstly I would like to congratulate the year 11 and 12 cohorts for their exceptional attendance during Term 1. The attendance rates of 95.6% and 95.3% respectively are quite impressive and we are seeing the benefits in improved student outcomes. I would like to further encourage students to maintain this high standard of attendance and even look to improve upon it as the year continues.

Further congratulations are in order for the excellent results that were achieved throughout term 1. It was very pleasing for the Senior Schooling team to see so many students being awarded ‘excellent’ in industry, effort and behaviour. We are very proud of your efforts and hope that students continue to make the most of their learning opportunities.

CS Information

In order to support our year 12 students in their 2016 QCS test preparations, the Senior Schooling team has organised a comprehensive QCS program, Immersion days and Practice Tests as well as a number of extra QCS sessions. These sessions will cover a range of strategies and skills that will assist students in their approach to the Multiple Choice, Writing Task and Short Response tests.

Immersion Days

Literacy - Friday 29 April (P1 and 2) - Helen Spencer
Numeracy - Tuesday 3 May (P1 and 2) - Helen Masselos
Visual Literacy - Monday 18 July (P1 and 2) - Ms Tippett
General - Monday 15 August - TBA

Practice Exams

Short response - Thursday 19 May
Writing Task - Thursday 14 July (morning)
Multiple Choice - Thursday 14 July (afternoon)

Afterschool Workshops

These workshops will run from 3pm-5pm in the Resource Centre and while they are optional I would like to encourage participation in these workshops and feel that they will be beneficial to those students who attend.

Term 2 - Week 4 - Wednesday 4 May
Week 7 - Wednesday 25 May
Term 3 - Week 3 - Wednesday 27 July

Jodi Preston
Director of Student Achievement – Senior Years (Acting)

VISUAL ART

Last month our Senior Art students visited GOMA and viewed the ‘Asian Pacific Triennial Review’ exhibition. Students were able to spend the day viewing a range of paintings, drawings and sculptural works allowing them a ‘cutting’ edge, contemporary art experience. Valuable resources and Visual Journal documentation collected assist students in their own personal, folio development.

Genevieve Tippett
Head of Department – The Arts

Guidance/Career News

Welcome to term 2, we trust you had an enjoyable Easter break. This term we welcome Mr Paul Ross.

I am very excited to take up the position of Guidance Officer and to join the Cavendish S.H.S. support team. I have come here from Milpera S.H.S which is the English language preparation school where I had roles as a teacher and a guidance officer. I have also volunteered as a telephone crisis supporter at Lifeline for a number of years. I have had a great introduction to the school with a warm welcome from both staff and students. I have had an opportunity to see the incredible facilities available to your students and am very impressed by the pride displayed through wearing of the school uniform. I look forward to meeting with many more members of the school community over the coming weeks and will be available to to speak matters concerning the welfare of students. This includes issues which may be personal, educational or matters involving career opportunities and pathways.

We also welcome Miss Rachel McNamara who will be shadowing both Guidance Officers in her role as practicum Guidance Officer. Rachel is a student at QUT and will participate in all Guidance activities in order to contribute to her Master of Education qualification. Rachel will be at Cav each Tuesday.

Careers Education Program at Cav Road

Career development is a lifelong process and we all have our own experiences which contribute to this process. Here at Cav all students access some career planning. Term 2 and 3 see these programs being implemented. As they move through the year levels the information becomes more specific, informing their post year 12 options. Years 9 and 10 have opportunity to choose some subjects. Their learning from the Careers program will inform these selections. The majority of young people look to friends and family for help to build aspiration and provide support in career planning. Parents become a vital resource for guiding students on their career pathways. Parents can:-

• Be purposeful in discussing their own career paths, the barriers, opportunities and interesting experiences that you have had
• Be purposeful in discussing the world of work – besides the job what is it about your work that is rewarding – team work, social, sense of purpose, conrubution to society
• Discuss the idea of planning – short, medium and long term
• Be aware of events, expos and open days that are relevant to your son/daughter. Many of these are emailed to our students and advertised in this newsletter.

Helpful Websites

Websites for career profiles

Exploring your career options can include learning about the career pathways of other people. You can learn about these pathways by talking to people in jobs you are interested in and reading case studies and job profiles. The following websites give job profiles of people in a range of career areas:

• Ace Day Jobs at (link below) contains a collection of profiles of people in a diverse range of jobs explaining what they do and the path they took to get there. Click on ‘Cool Jobs’ (top left menu) for a list of jobs in various categories.
• aLife at (link below) (click on ‘Profile search’) provides a set of profiles and videos of people in different careers. Each profile includes related jobs. If you don’t know where to start, select ‘Random Profile’.
• SkillsOne TV at (link below) is a collection of videos showcasing skills, trades and industries. If you haven’t the time or patience to view long videos, click on ‘Skill Bites’ for a taste of skills and trades in 15 seconds.
• Youth Central at (link below) provides information on hundreds of jobs, provided by people in the jobs. The information includes the job description, the pathway to getting into the job and tips for people interested in the job.

Paul Ross and Kate Niland
Guidance Officers

Allied Heath Forum

On Wednesday the 13th of April, twelve senior students attended an Allied Health Careers Forum at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. During the information session students learnt about the wide variety of career options on offer in the allied health sector, including occupational therapy, speech pathology, prosthetics and orthotics, nutrition and dietetics, radiography, physiotherapy, pharmacy, radiation therapy, podiatry, music therapy, psychology, audiology, social work, clinical measurement science and mental health. For some of our students, this forum reinforced their career plans and goals, and for others, it provided great insight into some job prospects they hadn’t even considered before. Overall, the girls felt very positive about the whole experience.

Nicole Coutts
Year 12 Co-ordinator/Home Economics & Health Teacher

Vocational and Educational Training News

This past week has seen over 100 of our Year 12 students out on work experience. This is a compulsory component of their Certificate II in Workplace Practices which requires students to complete 80 hours of work experience. Our students have been working in many and varied industries such as retail, hospitality, sport and recreation, engineering, business and many more. If your child was at work experience during the week of 18 – 22 April, could you ensure they return their logbook to B10 as soon as possible?

The next block of work experience for eligible Year 12s will be on the 18 – 22 July 2016. Your child will be registering their interest areas in the coming weeks. We also have a large number of school based traineeships available to current year 10 and 11 students. A school based traineeship allows your child to earn money whilst working and completing a qualification. Qualifications that are available through traineeships include Certificate III in Hospitality, Certificate III in Business and Certificate III in Retail working for business like Coffee Club, Subway, Boost Juice, Pet Stores and many more. If your child would like more information on school based traineeships, please come and see us in B10.

We have a few opportunities for our students with regard to apprenticeships. There are currently vacancies for Apprentice Butchers, Hairdressing and a Chef. Please see the B10 staff if you would like to apply for either of these positions.

Currently under way is the delivery of a Certificate II in Health Support Services which is delivered here at school by AXIOM College on a Thursday and a Certificate II in Hospitality will be delivered by the Queensland College on a Wednesday afternoon. Both courses are VETiS funded (generally free of charge) and are worth four valuable QCE points. If you would like your child to be enrolled in either of these courses, please see the B10 staff. There are always new and exciting things happening in the VET Department here at Cav Road. If you would like any information on how we can help your child, don’t hesitate to call 3394 0741.

KimTonges
VET Coordinator/Business Teacher

Guten Tag!

We enjoyed finishing a busy Term 1 with Easter celebrations and getting to know the tradition of the Ostereierbaum (Easter Egg Tree). Some of our junior students were introduced to the biggest Ostereierbaum, which is situated in Saalfeld, Central Germany (see picture) and boasts a total of 10’000 handmade Easter eggs. This in turn inspired the students’ own creations.

Normally in Term 2, our Years 9-12 enjoy a trip to the German Film Festival. However, this year the festival has been moved to November. We have decided instead to indulge in a German lunch provided by the Black Forest Restaurant in Highgate Hill. Students in Year 9 will be able to use their newly acquired language to critique the food. With regard to this, please make payment by the end of April.

In the coming weeks we are looking forward to our Year 7 PowerPoint presentations which the students have begun working on with vigour, after an all-round successful start to high school German.

Thank you for reading!

Jinnie Petersen
German Coordinator

Drama News

Welcome back to Term 2 and a very busy Drama program! Firstly, CONGRATULATIONS to our two stars for their outstanding involvement and performance in the recent production of HAIRSPRAY performed by Harvest Rain Theatre Company at the Entertainment Centre over the weekend of April 8-10. What a wonderful experience and an outstanding opportunity to build networks and gain experience for their next big production. We are very proud of you Marcella Hogg and Mia Lierich!

DRAMA IN-CLASS WORKSHOPS

This is a very busy term for Professional immersion in the Arts. Both Year 10 and Year 12 students will be experiencing in-class workshops on Cyber Drama and Absurdist Theatre run by Brendan Glanville from the Australian Acting Academy. Both workshops will embed in class learning and extend students’ knowledge to ensure the best educational outcomes. I encourage every student to participate. Permission letters are in P Block.

DRAMA CLUB

Term 1 Drama Club has concluded with students embarking on a wonderful experience developing skills in characterisation, roles plays and working as an ensemble. Well look out Term 2, with the introduction of ACTING FOR TV & COMMERCIALS in front of a Green Screen! Students have been experimenting with scripts and roles in order to work under the lights of the big screen. Students are thoroughly enjoying the diversity and the opportunities that are available to them with this wonderful technology in their school. If you are interested in joining Drama Club please collect a permission letter from P Block and I am happy to discuss the program with you. Likewise parents feel free to contact me via my email for any further information. Email: tryan122@eq.edu.au

IN SCHOOL PERFORMANCES

We have our first Professional performance on Friday 22nd April for year 9-12 students. This is a production by Playhouse Australia titled “As you Write it”. This performance production will not only entertain, but educate our students.

ARTS PREFECTS have their say……

Term 2 has started and the Arts @ Cavendish Rd are wasting no time nor enthusiasm getting back into the swing of things! Last term we unfortunately had to say goodbye to one of our music teachers, Mr Wood, who will definitely be missed. However, we are excited to welcome Mr Bonetti who has taken Mr Wood’s place. We hope he enjoys becoming a part of Cav Road’s ‘Green Machine’ and wish him all the best. Cav’s music students are currently preparing for the ANZAC day parade, an event our school is always honoured to take part in.

During this term, Drama Club will be focussing on green screen acting for TV/commercials. The drama department is also very excited for the opportunity to view various live performances and in-class workshops to assist with senior assessment. This term, Year 9 to 12 drama students will be able to see a production by Australia Playhouse called “Shakespeare: As You Write It.” We encourage all students to seize this opportunity. The Visual Art students are, as usual, making some beautiful pieces, some of which are displayed below. This art work can be seen displayed at various events in our school resource centre. The arts prefects wish all our students a happy and successful term 2! We look forward to sharing more amazing Arts stories with you as they occur.

Oliana Toia & Ella Kewley

Sports News

Swimming

Early last term, new Cav Rd year 9 student Lauren Robinson, represented South District at the Met East Regional Swimming trials. At the trials Lauren won the 50m, 100m, & 200m breaststroke, came second in the 200m individual medley, and placed third in the 100m freestyle. She broke the meet record in the 200m breaststroke, and also broke the 200m individual medley record. These successes resulted in her being selected to represent Met East at the Qld State School Swimming Championships.

The Qld School State Championships were held on March 17 and 18 in Brisbane. Lauren competed in the 50m, 100m & 200m breaststroke events, as well as the 200m individual medley. She won the gold medal in 100m breaststroke and is now the Qld School State Champion in that event. She also won silver in the 200m breaststroke, and bronze in the 50m breaststroke and 200m individual medley. She was also selected to compete in the girls 14 years medley relay, in which her team won silver. This success has resulted in Lauren being selected to represent Qld at the National School Swimming Championships in September.

During the school holidays Lauren competed at the Swimming Australia - Australian Age Championships in Adelaide. Lauren swam in three individual events - the 200m individual medley, and the 100m & 200m breaststroke, as well as two relays. She made finals in all three individual events, placing 3rd and winning the bronze in the 200m breaststroke, placing 4th in the 100m breaststroke, and placing 10th in the 200m individual medley. One of her relay teams also made the top 10, placing 8th.

The Australian Age Swimming Championships are the highest level of competition age group swimmers (13-18 years) can achieve in Australia, and has Lauren now ranked 3rd, 4th and 10th respectively in Australia. Congratulations Lauren on these fantastic achievements.

Cross Country

On Thursday 14 April we held the school Cross Country Carnival. This year an exciting and challenging new course was created around Whites Hill Reserve tracks for students wishing to compete in the championship races. For the first time, a second course was developed for students wanting to be involved in the day in a participation course that involved a wet zone, music and house war cries in order to gain points for their respective houses.

The carnival ran from 12:00pm with roll marking before students were walked across to the start lines at Whites Hill. Student attendance and participation on the day was fantastic. The championship course saw some very competitive and fast races in all divisions, while the participation course saw students complete as many laps as they could to gain points for their houses, while having fun.

Students competing in the championship race were aiming to qualify for the school team to attend the district trials. Students 12 years and under who finished in the top 3 attended the Mt Gravatt District Trials at Sunnybank Community and Sports Club on Wednesday 20 April, while the 13-19 year olds who finished in the top 6 will attend the South District Trials at Citipointe Christian College on Thursday 28 April.

Congratulations also to our Cross Country Age Champions:

The overall points scoring on the day was very close and the Champion House will be announced during the next school parade.

All students are to be congratulated for their effort and behaviour on the day and we wish those students representing Cav Rd at the district trials all the very best of luck.

Interschool Sport

The summer interschool sport season is coming to an end with a number of our teams qualifying for the semi-finals or grand final. This year we fielded teams in volleyball, touch, basketball, cricket and 5-a-side football. The following teams have qualified for semi-finals this week, or the grand final next week which is an outstanding achievement from our students are staff who coach these teams.

Semi-Finals: (years 7, 8 & 9 Tuesday 19 April, years 10, 11 & 12 Wednesday 20 April)

• Year 10 girls touch football
• Year 7 girls basketball
• Year 8/9 boys basketball
• Year 7 boys 5-a-side football
• Year 8/9 boys 5-a-side football
• Year 10 girls 5-a-side football
• Year 10 boys 5-a-side football
• Open girls 5-a-side football

Grand Final: (years 7, 8 & 9 Tuesday 26 April, years 10, 11 & 12 Wednesday 27 April)

• Year 8 girls touch
• Year 9 girls touch
• Open girls touch
• Year 7 boys touch
• Year 8 boys touch
• Year 9 boys touch
• Year 10 boys touch
• Open boys touch
• Year 10 boys cricket
• Open boys cricket
• Year 7 girls 5-a-side football
• Year 8/9 girls 5-a-side football

Good luck to all teams involved in these games!

Winter Interschool Sport

With the completion of the summer competition only a week away, this means trials and selections for winter teams will be coming up in the next two weeks. Students will need to listen during morning notices to find out times and dates for these trials. If selected they will receive paperwork that needs to be completed before students can travel in week 5. The winter sport options are: (not all sports are available for every age group)

• Volleyball
• Basketball
• Football
• Rugby League
• AFL
• Netball
• Ultimate Disc

Winter Recreational Sport

With the new interschool sport season, comes a new season of Recreational Sport and new selections. Like Term 1, students will be provided with their Rec Sport options in week 3 and will be required to login to the Select Your Sport website ( link below ) selecting their appropriate year level and select their sport. This will be open from Friday afternoon (29 April) and close on Monday 2 May. Students need to get in early to avoid the disappointment of missing out on their first choice as spaces are limited in all options. All students needing to select a Rec Sport will be provided with the information before the weekend of choosing, so if there are any questions or concerns students need to see Mr Baker in T Block staffroom before Friday 29 April. Once selections have been made, there will be minimal changes taking place. There will be none without a written parental request or a request from a teacher, so make sure your student selects wisely. Also please pay particular attention to those Rec Sports that involve a payment. All Rec Sports that travel will be required to complete a permission form and pay their money in order to travel.

Mitch Baker
Teacher Health and Physical Education
Sports Coordinator & Senior Rec Sport Coordinator

Kokoda Challenge

On Sunday the 17th of April, 48 students and 11 leaders hiked 17km on the challenging trails of Mt Coot-Tha. Thanks to our leaders and support crews for giving up their Sunday morning. Our next major practice hike is 28km at the D’Aguilar National Park north of Brisbane on the 21st of May. We are holding a sausage sizzle at Bunnings Mount Gravatt on Saturday the 23rd of April to raise money for our team shirts. If you can, please drop in and buy a sausage from us.

Steve Griffiths
Cav Road Kokoda Challenge Coordinator

Message to all Parents – Student Resource Scheme

It is the start of the new term. Could you please ensure that payment is made for Term 2 Student Resource Scheme as soon as possible as per the agreement that you have with the school states that this needs to be finalised by week 2 of Term 2. Please contact the school if you have any problems with your part payment for Term 2. The Business Services Managers can assist you with a payment plan to help with your fees. The telephone number for the Business Services Manager is 07 3394 0710. If you haven’t filled in a Student Resource Scheme form, please do so as soon as possible and make payment, otherwise you will need to arrange to supply your child/ren with all resources that are required for each subject area. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated.

Jenny Townshend
Business Services Manager

Resource News

Returns and Overdue Notices

The loans system of the Resource Centre aims to provide all users with maximum access to our resources. All student loans are for a maximum period of three weeks (21 days) with the right to renew if the resource is not in high demand. Students are encouraged to borrow books over school holiday periods. Overdue notices will be sent out regularly to students’ EQ email addresses to remind students of overdue books. This will ensure a high turnover of resources and equity of access. Notices are sent to student email addresses as follows:

• Overdue notices are emailed to students when items are 7 days or more overdue
• A replacement cost notice is sent at 28 days overdue to students and parents
• After 30 days, overdue items are considered lost, and an invoice will be sent to the student’s parents/carer.

All lost and damaged items will be charged at a replacement cost. A full refund will be issued if the item is found and returned in good condition.

What would Shakespeare think about eBooks?

The Queensland State Schools eBooks Digital Library has over 8000 titles. There are two new collections which we hope will be useful.

April 2016 is the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare – a wonderful chance to celebrate the Bard’s contribution to English literature!  There is a list of eBooks written by and about Shakespeare for you to enjoy. Of course April is also significant for ANZAC Day, which is commemorated in many types of fiction and nonfiction alike, for readers of all ages.  View the list of eBooks for Anzac Day & WWI . It is simple:

At the login page, enter your EQ username (MISID) to view the title/s in the eBooks Digital Library.

Happy reading and listening!

Term 2 Happenings

This term we are promoting Navigating a Story with specific emphasis on students trying a new format. Our Resource Centre tree has been transformed, encouraging students to ‘branch out and try a new format’.

Google can bring you back a million responses, but a Librarian can help you find the right one.

Year 11 Health Education students were introduced to Effective Research Techniques to assist them with their current Research based assignment. The idea is to empower students to take responsibility for learning to find answers themselves. The session focussed on:

• Formulating search queries wisely
• Using search operators
• Using advanced search techniques
• Evaluating website reliability

Some other useful tips and tricks include:

• Start, don’t end, with Wikipedia - get a good overview of the subject you are researching
• Mine bibliographies - skim through the bibliography of websites and books and note any title which sounds relevant
• Use a system – make sure that every quote, fact and thought is tied in some way to it source
• Know your resources – get to know the research material
• Ctrl F (or Command F on Mac) - you use search engines to find certain words on the web. Don't forget that you can find certain words on the current web page you're viewing by pressing CTRL+F

Michelle Janik-Sands
Library Technician

Get Microsoft Office 2016 free of charge

All Queensland state school staff and students can now download multiple free copies of the latest Microsoft Office to their personal home computers and mobile devices.

To help prepare your child for success this academic year, the Department of Education and Training has teamed up with Microsoft to provide free Office 2016 to every Queensland state school student. With Office 2016, your child will have access to the latest version of Word for writing, Excel for spreadsheets, PowerPoint for presentations, OneNote for organisation and notetaking, and much more.

You can install a complete version of the latest Microsoft Office on up to five compatible PCs and Macs, five tablets and five smartphones. Your Office subscription lasts for as long as your child is a state school student.

Ask your child to follow these simple steps to get Office:

• For PC and Mac, visit portal.office.com , login using your school email address, click through to install and follow the onscreen process.
• For tablets and smartphones, download from your app store and sign in with your school email address.

Visit the link below for instructions on how to download and install Office 2016 to your personal home computers.

Karen McFarlane
Head of Department - Information Services

In Touch

The National Touch Competition (NTL) that was held last month is a platform for players to be selected to represent Qld. Cavendish Road had several players competing in this competition and acknowledgement must be given to current student Kobe Nona and last year’s student Brytten Reynolds for their selection in the Qld under 20’s Women’s squad. Squad trainings will be held later in the month where final selections will be made. Good luck Kobe. District trials were held before the school holidays for 15s and the 18s boys and girls. Cavendish Rd SHS has over 30 players who make up 85% of the teams. Congratulations to the following students that were successful in trialling and will now attend Met East trials on Friday 22nd if April at Whites Hill. Good luck at the trials.

• Open Girls – Kobe Nona, Kerry Hill, Melanie Williams, Sarafina Vosqua, Teigan Hutchinson, Breanna Madge, Erin Lee, Kyla Ogilvy and Tahlia Zischke
• Open Boys – Jayden Fielding- Smith, James Price, Connor McLeod, Jordan Andrews, Issac Spletter, Nate Manteufel, Eliot Vincent and Matua Sadlier
• 15 Girls – Alex Grace, Chloe Cooksley, Tearn Williams, Renae Nona, Shajuate Aila, Tyler Beazley
• 15 Boys – Kedan Chang-Tung, Kapu Broughton-Winterburn , Kohl Beazley, Jackson Burgess, Jackson Roberts, Ayden Davis and Tim Gardiner

Establishing links in the community is one of the focuses for our Touch players at Cav RD. In partnership with Queensland Touch Football, Jayden Fielding-Smith is working with Development Officer Glen Walker for his work experience this week. We were very privileged to have Jayden come to our training sessions on Tuesday. Jayden took each year level for drills and skills sessions. He was very professional in his demeanour, demonstrating knowledge well beyond his years.

Insert Image Touch 3 - 5 Jayden Fielding coaching

As part of our year 12 Touch program students have been studying Events management and are planning a visit to Coorparoo State School to run a skills session and tournament for the Years 5 and 6 students. Mr Ash Cross from Coorparoo has said the students are super excited, as are we.

Some dates to remember

District trials for 12’s boys April 27 and girls April 28
Met East Trials for 15’s and 18’s boys and girls - Friday 22nd April Whites Hill
Second Schools Touch League - Caboolture Touch Fields - Friday 20th May.

Player Profile

This month’s stars of touch are:

Name: Tim Gardiner.
Year: 10.
Favourite Subject: Maths.
Touch Club: Southern Storm.
Most memorable touch experience: Winning 21-0 with only 5 players / Scoring against Rockhampton during All Schools.
Fav playing number and position: Middle, 11

If I could be like anyone who would that be and why: Anthony Milford because he is a dead set legend.
What I want to be when I grow up: Something well paid and not boring.

What my last meal on earth would be: Chicken drumsticks.

Name: Alex Grace
Year Grade: 10
Favourite subject: Touch.
Touch Club: Uni Rebels.
Most memorable touch experience: Winning the grand final last season.
Fav playing number and position: 5 and link.
If I could be anyone in the world it would be? And why: I have no idea.
What I want to be when I grow up: Physiotherapist.
What my last meal on earth will be: Maccas.

Cathy Farrelly
Touch Academy Director

Chaplain’s Bike Challenge

Please find attached a flyer below:

Margita Downey
School Chaplain

Parents and Citizens Association

Canteen Call for Help

Our Canteen Team has been very busy preparing food and serving our hungry students. Thank you to the volunteers who have assisted our staff so far this year. Volunteers are welcome every day. Even coming along for a short time to assist on one of the days would be a huge help. If you have a little time and would like to help please feel welcome to pop in. For more information or to advise when you are available to assist please contact the Canteen team on 3394 0723 or canteen@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au

Thank you for considering this request!

New P&C Executive 2016

The P&C held their AGM in March and thank you to the members below who have taken on roles for 2016:

President – Melinda Groves
Treasurer – Patricia Cox
Vice-President – Diana McFadzean
Vice-President – Michael Skinner
Minutes Secretary – Ashley Chan
Communications Secretary – Leisa Whybird
QCPCA Rep – Lynda Ellis

P&C Meetings

P&C meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7pm in the Resource Centre.

All parents and carers are most welcome to come along. This is a great way to meet school staff and other parents.

Our next meeting is Tuesday 17 May. If you would like to be added to our mailing list and receive reminders about future meetings and copies of our minutes and agenda please email pandcsecretary@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au.

Also, please find attached a flyer for the Chaplaincy Junior Bike Challenge.

Leisa Whybird
Communications Secretary
Parents and Citizens Association

Show your support for students with Autism in April

Do you know that there are more than 12,000 students with autism enrolled in Queensland state schools? April is Autism Awareness Month and our school is committed to working with families and services to support students with autism and ensure that they get the best possible start in life.

This year the Queensland Government launched Australia’s first Autism Hub to provide students with autism, their families and schools across the state with more support. Located in Brisbane, the $2 million centre offers expert advice, training and resources to parents, educators and health professionals. Seven regional autism coaches have also been appointed; ensuring professional support is available statewide.

For more information visit

Reminder to be safe when travelling on or near buses

With another school term under way, we’d like to remind all students and parents to please be safe when travelling on or near buses.

A significant number of school students in Queensland travel on buses to attend school. All students have the right to a safe and enjoyable journey, and their safety is our number one priority.

Ensuring students safe travel on or near buses is a shared responsibility which brings together the efforts of students, their parents/carers, schools, bus drivers and bus operators. When travelling on or near a bus, there are some safety tips you should follow to ensure a safe journey

A Code of Conduct for School Students Travelling on Buses is also available to provide students and parents/carers with information about how to travel safely on buses. To view the code and more information, visit

For Sale Smart Wallet and USB Aldrin 8GB with school logo

Smart Wallet with school logo

Durable silicone wallet with 3M adhesive stick to the back of your phone. Great for holding cards, tickets, ID, cash and more. Sand texture finish on the inside prevents cards from slipping out of the wallet. Now this is smart! Only $3 – saves bringing a purse or wallet to school. Available for purchase from the Finance Window.

USB Aldrin 8GB with school logo

Hard plastic in a silver colour. Only $10 available for purchase from the Finance Window.