27 October 2017

Newsletter Articles

The Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to Term 4. I trust all families had a well-deserved and restful holiday. As Corrine McMillan is currently on long service leave, I write this article as Acting Principal; Paul Cox is Acting Associate Principal; Rebecca Gardiner is Acting Deputy Principal and Julie Mitchell is Acting Head of Department Wellbeing.

Awards Night

Thank you to the families who were able to attend our recent Awards Evening and congratulations to all award winners and musicians who performed on the night. Our awards night is an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our students. I have included below an excerpt from my speech to share with you the many highlights of 2017:

“The year has proven to be another successful year in all facets of school life. Not only have we produced outstanding academic results, but students across all year levels have excelled in a range of pursuits.

In January, we welcomed 373 Year 7 students and their families into our school for the very first time. I believe these students and the new staff have further defined and affirmed our school culture. At this point I acknowledge the hard work of the Principals and teaching staff in our feeder primary schools who have worked closely with us to ensure the smooth transition of their Year 6 students into high school.

One of the highlights this year for 33 of our students in Years 9 to 11 was the trip of a lifetime when they were part of the first ever USA Opportunity Tour. This biennial trip enabled these students to travel far and wide and broaden their horizons by visiting some of the world’s best universities.

Kokoda was again a popular school event with 20 students and 5 leaders competing in the Brisbane Kokoda Challenge in June and 7 teachers, 32 students and 1 past student participating in the 96 or 48km Kokoda Challenge in the Gold Coast Hinterland in July. The teams were ably supported by numerous families for these events which form a significant part of the school’s culture and commitment to a holistic education. As always, the students and teachers were perfect ambassadors of the school and an excellent example of the values of the Kokoda challenge – courage, endurance, mateship and sacrifice.

In Opti Minds, Cav Road excelled yet again with three teams competing at regional level and one team progressing to the state final where they received a well-deserved honours award. This is an outstanding achievement in a challenging state-wide competition involving all three education sectors.

Our NAPLAN performance in Literacy and Numeracy was impressive in both Years 7 and 9 with Cav results significantly higher than not only schools in Queensland but schools across Australia.

Cav Road’s strong UNIVERSITY links with both Griffith and the University of Queensland have provided our students with exceptional opportunities to progress their education. Students in Mathematics, Science, Business, Health and Physical Education have seized the opportunity to begin their university studies during their senior years.

The implementation of Project Based Learning in Years 7 and 8 across English, Science, Humanities and Mathematics has provided students with the opportunity to develop the 21st century skills of creativity, innovation and collaboration. This has resulted in improved student outcomes in engagement and problem solving.

The further embedding and consolidation of the Philosophy in Schools Program in the year 7 and 8 curriculum has enabled students to develop higher order thinking skills that underpin every Queensland Syllabus.

Academic Achievement has flourished across the school and is evident through our results in a range of student competitions including:

• the Australian English competition where our students received 6 distinctions and 47 credits
• the Year 7 and 8 Mathematics Quiz where three students competed in the State Finals
• and the Maths teams challenge where our intermediate teams were placed second and third with the Junior team placing second.

In The Arts our achievements include –

• The highly entertaining 90’s Musical, Popstars, where the amazing talents of 130 of our students were on display to record audiences
• The recent Cav Quest was another wonderful celebration of the talent of Cav Road students
• And Cav Music students again performed admirably in the Creative Generation – State Schools on Stage.

In Health and Physical Education:

• Cav Road continued to demonstrate our strong sporting culture with the success of our Academy Programs in Touch Football, Netball and Football.
• Our Girls’ Football team won the prestigious State Bill Turner Cup for the second year in a row. This is a fine indication of the development occurring through the Football Academy.
• We have the most elite touch football academy in the State with 6 teams competing in the recent Queensland All Schools Competition and 5 teams reaching the finals.
• And in our midst are District, Regional and State sporting representatives and members of teams that have been victorious.
• 208 students were South District Sports representatives
• 68 students represented Metropolitan East Region
• and 10 students represented Queensland.
• 29 interschool sports teams were south district champions with 13 teams winning a Metropolitan Championship.

In Senior Schooling

• All Year 12 OP eligible students have engaged in performance interviews with the Director of Student Achievement to review their progress, set goals and discuss their chosen pathway.
• I am pleased to announce that we are expecting exceptional QCS results.
• 60 students have successfully completed a work placement.
• 28 students secured a School Based Traineeship or Apprenticeship.
• 264 Vocational Education and Training qualifications will be issued to students including 39 Certificate III Qualifications and every Year 12 student will achieve a Queensland Certificate of Education.

These results are outstanding and reflect the range of opportunities available to our students and challenge the traditional modes of education we once knew.

Our Special Education Department ensures that we are truly inclusive of all students, increasing student participation in mainstream classes with appropriate support. Appreciation of difference, diversity and inclusivity is after all the platform of public education and a symbol of a great state education system and a progressive society.

You may have noticed that our new International student precinct is nearing completion. During school hours this building will provide an area for students to collaborate and after school it will be utilised as a much needed bus shelter.

Two successful International Study Tours have occurred this year – with a strong relationship being forged with Junten Super Science High School from Japan who have travelled to Cav for the past 3 years to work with our Science Faculty staff.

We also enjoyed the visit from our Japanese sister school, Omiyo Koryo when 25 students and their teachers visited in August. This relationship will be continued when a group of our students visit Japan in 2018.

Due to our increased enrolment, this year we were able to appoint a Director of Teaching and Learning - the school’s 13th Head of Department.

In collaboration with our partnership schools, Buranda, Seville Road and Holland Park State Schools, we have provided professional development in our signature Philosophical Inquiry program to over 300 teachers across more than 35 schools. Our leadership in this area was recently recognised with a Commendation in the Department of Education and Training’s Showcase Awards for Educational Leadership.

And the exceptional results don’t only come from the students in this outstanding school but also from the teachers.

Our very own Steve Griffiths was one of four teachers across the state to receive the prestigious Peter Doherty Award for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education and Steve is also a finalist for the Queensland College of Teachers Excellence in Teaching Award.

And I must acknowledge the remarkable work of Morgan Stebbings which has resulted in Morgan being announced as a finalist in the Queensland College of Teachers Beginning to Teach Awards and a finalist in the Queensland Community Achievement Awards.

I am immensely proud of the amazing accomplishments in 2017 and I am also proud of the accolades we constantly receive as a result of our students who live and breathe the Cav Road spirit.”

End of Year Events

I wish all students and parents/carers the very best for the remainder of the term. Please continue to ensure attendance is a high priority to maximise opportunities to achieve the best results possible. I send an extra special good luck to our Year 12s as they head into the last few weeks as Cav Roadians and sit their final exams as Cav Road students.

Kind regards

Meryl Johnston
Acting Principal

Order of Australia Citizenship Award

Year 12 - Alexandria Skrandies

At Cav, we recently nominated Year 12 student, Alexandria Skrandies, for the Order of Australia Secondary Schools Citizenship Awards. We were thrilled to receive an email from the Order of Australia Association informing us that Alexandria had won! On Friday 15th September, Alexandria and her family attended the Order of Australia Citizenship Award ceremony held at Queensland Parliament. She was presented with a certificate and commemorative plaque by Her Honour Catherine Holmes, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Alexandria has dedicated a great amount of her schooling life to serving the needs of others, both at Cav and in our community. She is a highly deserving of such a great honour and we are extremely proud of her. Congratulations Alexandria!

Amanda Pacek
Year 12 Coordinator/Business Teacher

Kokoda Youth Challenge Program

Kokoda: Life-changing Experience written by Yiqiao (Joyce) WANG – Year 11 Student

“It’s been five months since I first joined the Kokoda Youth Challenge Program (KYCP). Looking back on this period of my life, I can’t express my gratitude for this program enough.

I still remember that very Friday, at school parade. A man in a red shirt spoke proudly in front of us, telling us all about this amazing program that runs for 18 months. My friend Catherine and I were deeply attracted by the idea to remember Kokoda in WW2. Hiking is also something we never did in China. We knew this was the only chance for us to participate in such a meaningful activity before stepping into adulthood. If I responded conservatively, I would never know how much greatness I could achieve. Chance was there and I believed I made the right choice: I applied for the program.

The interview went unbelievably well and soon enough I got a phone call saying that I’d got into the program. I was so nervous the first time I met the entire Brisbane Team. I was worrying that I wouldn’t fit into the group. As I’m an international student, English is not my first language and I didn’t know what to talk about. All my concerns went away when I pushed myself to talk to people; I found them incredibly nice and friendly. The whole team is like a big family. We always care about one another. I wasn’t very fit in the beginning. I couldn’t even do one proper push-up. The first Sunday and Wednesday training were so hard for me, not to the extent that I wanted to cry, but every part of my body was sore and in pain. However, I always felt powered up by high-fives and laughs from the team. I believe encouragement plays an important role in every training session, helping everyone get over obstacles.

As the longest training, the Gold Coast 96k had a great impact on me. Before I actually did it, I could never have imagined how difficult it would be and what kind of hardship I would face. The night before the 96k, we had a big meal. Everyone was chatting and laughing, but I knew how anxious and scared we were. The next morning, we woke up early and got ready for the start. There were thousands of people at the start line. Some were young like us, some were middle-aged but still looked confident, and some were even in their sixties. At that moment, I realized how important Kokoda was to every Australian.

Hill after hill, it was a lot harder than training. I was already exhausted by the time we conquered the second hill. When the darkness fell, rain came as well. It was cold and muddy. Everything was soaked and our pants and shoes got so dirty. The worst moment was before dawn. Our perseverance had reached the limit and we were all so grateful that the support crew was there waiting for us. That was the last major checkpoint before dawn and our support crew had set up in an open place. So, from thousands of meters away, we could see them waving their torches towards us. The way to that checkpoint looked so short but it was so long. By the time we saw supporters, our tears just fell so quickly. Before this, we were so helpless and thought we couldn’t go any further, but the hugs and encouragement we got from them gave us so much confidence and we were ready to go on to the next hill.

When the sun rose, I felt so refreshed. I almost fell asleep at night but, as soon as I saw light through woods, all the exhaustion went away. The rest of the track was the hardest and what we were proudest of as well. Because of the low pace on the first day, we now had to catch up with the other teams and we were far behind the schedule. Chances were that we might not cross the finish line before the final cut. If we didn’t get to finish line on time, the entire Brisbane team could be cancelled and no more Kokoda training would be allowed. We all knew it was serious and we would never let our leaders down. The whole team showed the cooperation we had. There were some kids in the team who had an injury at that time, but they managed to stay close to the front of the team. I was really impressed and touched to see their persistence and determination. At the last stage of challenge, I burst into tears. My feet were on fire, my knee hurt and my legs were shaking. The distance from the very last small checkpoint to the finish line was incredibly long. We were all crying but walking. Some people might think we felt really excited and honoured to conquer the challenge. We did finish it like champions but, from my point of view I felt more relaxed when we got to the finish line. It was a feeling from deep within my heart, an emotion that belonged to me, and a moment I know I don’t have to brag about.

After the 96k challenge, we went into a completely new stage — Papua New Guinea. It’s a small island near Australia. It is where the Japanese first landed during WWII. There is a bloody history in that lovely place that we should never forget. During our short stay in PNG, we had so much fun with the local people. They had limited resources but they knew how to take advantage of everything. The place was very clean and beautiful. We were all attracted by the tribal culture, the dance, and the costumes. The kids there were very shy at first but, as soon as they got familiar with us, we were playing like best friends. However, in an undeveloped country like PNG, there is a lot to be improved. It was really sad when I saw a woman, who was acting weirdly and people treated her like a psychopath. What they didn’t know was that she had mental problems. Unfortunately, due to the lack of education, they would never understand what was really happening to her and help her. On the contrary, they made fun of her and threw rocks at her. In their eyes, she would always be a crazy person. Apart from the cultural aspect, we learnt more about the history. Walking on the exact same path those great soldiers had walked before, the feeling could only be described as ‘honoured’. It humbled us so much to really reflect on the past and be grateful for what we have today.

Papua New Guinea is not our ending. It’s a new beginning. My KYCP journey is far beyond end. I’m so glad I made the right choice and joined this program. My life has changed through the spirit of Kokoda. I will always remember the four values: mateship, courage, endurance, sacrifice.”

Year 12 Formal

On Wednesday the 15th November at 7.00 pm the Year 12s will be taking their seats in all their finery in The Harbour Room at The Landing at Dockside, which is on Ferry Street in Kangaroo Point. Students can be dropped off in Town Square near the Central Dockside Apartments from 6.15 pm. There are many idyllic photo opportunities around the drop off area. If you wish to utilise them, remember to arrive early to allow time before students make their way into the venue. The venue can be accessed via the path on the left hand side of the Central Dockside Apartments and through the gardens. Parents, guardians, carers and family are invited to attend pre-dinner drinks in The River Room from 6.15pm. A cash bar will be available to parents and other adults wishing to enjoy a celebratory beverage. The Landing at Dockside has a public carpark and there is parking available in the streets around the area.

At 7.00 pm parents and other family members are requested to vacate the venue. There are many great restaurants in the area that you might like to enjoy. The Venue closes at 10.30 pm. Students are not permitted to leave before this time. Students can be picked up directly outside the venue (44 Ferry Street, Kangaroo Point). Teacher supervision will end at 11 pm. Formal tickets are available for purchase until Thursday 3 November. Our photographers on the night are Prestige Photography, who have been working with Cavendish Road for years. Photographs will be available to order through a link on the School’s Website. There is also a Power Point with further information on the Cavendish Road SHS website under ‘Extra-curricular’.

If you have any questions regarding the formal please contact our Formal Coordinator, Marie Chappell (3394 0235) or our Year 12 Coordinator, Amanda Pacek (3394 0715).

Graduation Ceremony 2017

Parents and Guardians of our graduating cohort, please be advised that your son’s/daughter’s graduation ceremony will be held in the school hall on Friday 17 November 2017. The ceremony will commence at 8.45 am. Due to space restrictions in the hall, each graduating student is strictly limited to two guests only. Graduation tickets will be distributed to students at the graduation ceremony practice held on Thursday 16 November. Tickets will be required for admission to the ceremony. The ceremony will conclude at approximately 11 am and all guests and graduating students are asked to leave the school grounds.

Prior to the graduation ceremony, a light breakfast, prepared by our hospitality students, will be offered in the Year 12 Precinct (outside the hall and resource centre). A coffee van will also be available for coffee purchases. Detailed information regarding the final week arrangements for the Year 12s and graduation ceremony will be sent to Year 12 Parents and Guardians before the Year 12s commence exam block. If you have any questions or enquiries please do not hesitate to contact Amanda Pacek on 3394 0715.

Amanda Pacek
Year 12 Coordinator

Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Crystal Growing Competition

In the June edition of the School Newsletter, we reported that nine enthusiastic students in Years 8, 10 and 12 participated in the RACI Crystal Growing Competition. Their crystals were submitted for judging at the end of Term 2 after about 6 weeks of growing and maintaining them in saturated solutions.

Year 8 students: Keely Chester, Niamh Chester, Zoe Ryan, Inga Powell and AJ Guanlao

Year 10 students: Steven Li, Jacob Aldiss, Kennedy Lu
Year 12 student: Owen Zhuang

Judging Results for the Queensland Regional Competition were released to schools at the end of Term 3. A total of 129 crystals were submitted by schools across Queensland from all age groups from Primary through Secondary years. 600 students participated in the project and the best crystals were entered by each school. The judging of the Qld competition was held on Tuesday 8th August 2017, at Griffith University in Brisbane. The judging panel this year was composed of University Chemistry Lecturers from Griffith’s Nathan and Gold Coast Campuses and University of Queensland’s St Lucia Campus.

Congratulations are extended to Steven Li, Jacob Aldiss and Kennedy Lu for receiving First Place in the Grade 10 Division and to Owen Zhuang in Year 12 who achieved First, Second and Third Places for his 3 beautifully formed copper sulfate crystals. These winning crystals will now be entered in the National Finals which will be held in October.

Year 12 – Owen Zhuang

The Year 8 students who entered the competition worked enthusiastically and produced very good crystals and we encourage them to enter the competition again in 2018, having gained valuable knowledge and experience this year.

Joanne Campbell
Science Teacher

Year 11 Academy of Science Excursion to Griffith University

Twenty five of our budding scientists from the Year 11 Academy of Science class attended a single day cell and molecular biology laboratory immersion program at Griffith University. The program contributes to their assessment for the first year university subject they are completing concurrently with their Senior Biology Syllabus studies. The day involved a number of different sessions that included bacterial culturing and gram staining, microscope skill development, microorganism identification and experiments on cellular osmosis and diffusion. The photos below capture a fantastic day of science.

Year 7 Water Harvesting Project Based Learning (PBL)

How much water falls on the roofs of Cav Road buildings each year? One hundred thousand litres? One million litres? In fact, based on calculations of our Year 7 students, it is close to 5,000,000 litres! So what could you do with all that water? Our Year 7 students now know the answer to that question!

For the whole of term three, Geography and Science class time (with some invaluable assistance from Mathematics) was dedicated to answering that very question. Our Project Based Learning (PBL) unit was designed to engage our students in creating solutions to real-world problems, whilst working in small teams, as adults do in their workplaces. It explicitly taught and assessed the 21st century skills that are needed by all students in the future. Students learnt about the water cycle, mapping and tracking our local catchment, separation techniques, and the maths needed to calculate rainfall volumes and interpret graphs and utilities bills, before putting it all together to come up with a proposed use for their harvested water.

We celebrated their hard work with a presentation day in week 10, where the students were able to present their proposals to members of the school leadership team and guests, including local member, the Honourable Joe Kelly. The proposed uses of harvested rainwater ranged from irrigation, to creating wetlands for native flora and fauna, for cleaning, school vegetable gardens and even hydroelectricity production! All proposals were supported with a decision making matrix and cost-benefit analysis. Many groups had also created amazing proto-types and models of their end product or separation processes.

It was great to see the students beaming with pride as they presented the culmination of 10 weeks’ hard work. We would like to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the students for embracing the challenge of the PBL, and to the teachers, especially Ms Fomsgaard and Ms Chappell for leading the way in Science and Geography.

Book Week 2017

In Week 7 of Term 3, Cav Rd celebrated National Book Week with a variety of activities aimed at encouraging a love of reading. Not only did we have a teacher costume dress up day, we also did some fundraising for a charity.

This year, the Student Council supported the English department’s endeavours to raise money for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation who do some amazing work with children in rural and remote communities. They purchase and supply books to indigenous students all around Australia who don’t have access to, or cannot afford, books to read. They also implement early intervention programs for students who struggle with literacy – a fantastic cause that we were all excited to get behind. Through our competitions and sports uniform day, we raised over $1000 that will go to this very worthwhile group. Well done, Cav Rd!

As you can see in the pictures, many teachers got into the spirit of the costume dress up day and put their arts and crafts, sewing and hot glue gun skills to good use. Congratulations to all teachers who got into the spirit of Book Week, and to all the teachers who foster a love of learning and reading on a daily basis – students thought it was fantastic, and many conversations about books were had, which is the spirit of the celebration.

The winner of the Peer Support Book Knowledge quiz was Johnson C! They worked together to successfully answer a range of questions about children’s picture books to teen fiction, as well as world records about authors. Such a great way for students to learn about the school’s values of ‘Co-operation’ and ‘Challenge’.

Another congratulations goes to the following students who won the Book Week Fundraising competitions.

Book in a Bottle

Answer: ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’

Winner: Jeremy Brady (year 9)
Runner up: Marissa Riggs (year 11)

How many pages in the book?

Answer: 1,837

Winner: Ben Garzotto (year 12)
Runner up: Isla Simpson (year 10)

Guess the book:

Winner: Lily Meagher (year 12)
Runner Up: Sarita Cox (year 7)

Random prize draw winners: Chezney Conan (year 8) and Kyne McDonald (year 7)

A huge thank you also goes to the following businesses for donating goods and prizes to help us in our fundraising efforts:

• Comics Etc.
• Sequel School & Office Supplies
• Impact Office Supplies
• Bent Books
• Edsco
• Books @ Stones

We also collected second-hand books for pre-prep to adolescents in support of Crestmead SHS’s 15,000 book drive. We collected well over our 1,700 book goal. Thanks for all your support with this endeavour Cav Rd community!

We all look forward to celebrating reading again next year!

More information about the Indigenous Literacy Foundation can be found at:

Rachael Cuthbert
Literacy Co-ordinator & English Teacher

Drama News

Term four is an exciting term and we are very busy immersing ourselves in assessment items, working with Holland Park Primary School and devising group assessment tasks. Year 12 students are completing their final performance item for the year. This is an exciting student-devised production performed to a live audience. Year 10 students are working with 130 Year 5 students at Holland Park State School to devise their Christmas concert early in November. This is an important process to ensure our Year 10 students are ready for their senior studies. Our junior students are completing their last pieces of assessment and then Year 8 are preparing a Documentary Drama production and Year 9 students a Theatre Sports competition later in the term. It is all very exciting.

Exam block is just around the corner for Year 11 students who should be monitoring this carefully as they have an assessment during this block time. Students are working on a directing task and studying Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We are enjoying the language and the very exciting plot. I have made bookings for several musical productions in 2018, so please ensure when letters come home you return your expression of interest to attend as soon as possible, to secure seating. Thank you to all the Drama families for a wonderful year.

Year 12 – Rumour Has It

You are invited to attend the final assessment production for our Senior Drama students “RUMOUR HAS IT,” devised, written, cast and rehearsed by the students. This is a student production displaying skills and genres they have learnt in their study of Drama over the last two years. I look forward to seeing as many families and peers as possible on the evening.

Year 10

Holland Park year 5 students have experienced their first week of drama activities and group work before our year 10 students returned to school to devise a concept, write scripts and for the next 5 Mondays will distribute scripts, cast roles and begin rehearsal. This is a very busy and exciting time for our year 10 students. Congratulations on the work you have completed already. I am excited about this production.

Congratulations to Lawson Smith

Recently, Lawson competed in the Queensland State Championships in the following events achieving outstanding results.

Toni Ryan
Drama Coordinator

Market Day

Year 10 Business Management students are gearing up for a sensational semester two Market Day. Students have been working hard preparing for their business ventures next week. Market stalls will be set up on ‘A’ Parade at first break on Monday 10 October.

Students will have the opportunity to purchase mouth-watering homemade treats such as pretzels, brownies, caramel popcorn and cookies. Products range from $1.00 to $4.00. We are look forward to seeing the hard work our students have been putting into their business venture this term. Don’t forget to bring your spare change!

Belinda Grech
Business Coordinator

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Update

From 2018 Cavendish Road State High School will gradually roll out BYOD for students in Years 10-12. Students in Years 7– 9 will continue with the school owned 1-1 Laptop Program as part of the Student Resource Scheme.

• 2018 – All Year 10 students and optional for year 12 students
• 2019 – All Year 10 and 11 students
• 2020 – All year 10, 11 and 12 students

For further information, please visit the 1-to-1 Laptop Program – BYOD page on our school website. To help you with your choice of laptop, please visit the School Locker (HP and Macs), Dell and Acer vendor portals (links available from the BYOD page). Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Karen McFarlane
HOD Information Services

Cav’s Classroom Challenge

The students of the Year 9 and 10 Modified Maths class were studying Area and Measurement when Ms McMillan came to observe their class. As a real life experience she set them a challenge to work out the amount of floor coverings required to recarpet and put linoleum in C16 and C17 classrooms. These classrooms have not been refurbished for a number of years. These students, along with their teacher Mrs Tucker took the task on and approached it as though they were giving a professional quote for a job.

The students looked at the area, they created a mud map, planned the measurements and then measured using tape measures. As this was an exercise in area, the students used the formula Area = Length x Width. Students used the saying “Measure twice, cut once” to make sure their measurements were correct. The calculations were a team effort, making sure that the quantities of both Carpet and Lino were accurate.

After making the area calculations, the students developed a budget and worked out the cost of the flooring. Students then made a power point presentation about the project and presented it to Ms McMillan. She was impressed by the professionalism of the presentation and hard work that went into it.

Congratulations to Alfie, Jasmine, Tahnee, Tahtiyana, Taliesha and Zac on their use of maths to solve a real life challenge.

Rosina Tucker
Special Education Teacher

Guidance Officer Update

Cav Road was approached by Professor Matthew Molineux to consider the idea of taking some Occupational Therapy students to work at Cav Road on a placement. The role of the placement was to give student exposure to a setting that traditionally did not engage Occupational Therapists. Through a lens of Occupational Therapy (OT) Theory, the three students, in collaboration with Kate Niland (Guidance Officer), Bec Gardiner (Head of Student Wellbeing) and Lisa Williams (Director of Student Achievement) reviewed our year 7 Transition program.

Through this, they were able to create great resources and make recommendations to support the program for our 2018 intake. The school is very appreciative of the hard work from Josh, Monique and Lauren. As a school we look forward to more links with the Griffith University and their OT students. Below is a summary of the research conducted.

Kate Niland and Paul Ross
Guidance Officers

Vocational and Educational Training Flyers

‘Royal on the Park’ is looking for a full-time apprentice, so must be a Year 12 school leaver in 2017.

See the below information for who to contact regarding this apprenticeship.

Cert I in Construction

Currently on offer is a successful VETiS funded program in Brisbane Schools that caters for students with an interest in the Construction Industry. This is a great opportunity for students to ‘trade taste’ the aspects of the Construction Industry. At the completion of this course, students receive a Qualification in Construction, Safety Induction Card (White Card), First Aid Certificate and 3 QCE points. All courses operate on School Grounds conducted by an experienced trainer, and all resources and materials are provided at No Cost to the school or students. All you need to do is to advise Mr Michael Gillingwater, located in room B10 of your interest in this course that will be offered in 2018, as soon as you can so you don’t miss out!

See our brochure attached for more information.

Michael Gillingwater
Vocational and Educational Training Coordinator

Lung Health Awareness Month

Every day we breathe about 22,000 times. Most of us never stop to think about our breathing, it’s just something we do. We know that more than 50% of all Australians rarely or never think about the health of their lungs and Lung Foundation Australia encourages Australians to take the health of their lungs as seriously. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in Australia with around 12,000 people diagnosed in Australia each year. The symptoms of lung cancer can often be vague and mimic those of other conditions, so it’s important to know what your cough is telling you. The signs and symptoms of lung cancer can include:

• a new cough that has persisted for 3 weeks or more
• a changed cough
• coughing up blood
• a chest infection that won’t go away
• chest pain and/or shoulder pain
• shortness of breath
• hoarse voice
• weight loss or loss of appetite

Symptoms of lung disease tend to creep up slowly and people automatically adjust their daily activities to accommodate or reduce their symptoms rather than getting help. Lung Foundation Australia encourages people to take our simple two minute online Lung Health Checklist. Take the interactive Lung Health Checklist:

Cancer Australia has also released a new lung cancer awareness video: What’s your cough telling you? To raise awareness of symptoms that could be lung cancer and the importance of early assessment by a General Practitioner or healthcare worker. If lung cancer is found at an earlier stage there is more chance of a better outcome. For more information speak with your GP or visit:

Yours in health and happiness,

Regina Tyson
School Based Youth Health Nurse
(L Block: Every Friday, Alternate Wednesday and Thursday)

Football Academy

Schools Premier League Report

On Thursday 12th October, all four of our teams travelled to Beerwah for the Schools Premier League Semi-Finals. First up were the Junior Girls and while they went one goal down very early in the match and a further goal down early in the second half, they fought back with 10min to go to finish two all and proceed to penalties. The girls slotted their first three penalties with ease while Chancellor missed their first two and Kezia Pritchard saved their third. Cav Road coming away 3.0 winners on penalties.

Next was the Junior Boys. While they started very well, going up a goal in the first half, Kelvin Grove got a goal back in the second half sending the game to penalties again. Once again, Cav Road proved too strong again in the penalties winning 4.3 on penalties after a fantastic save by Ryan McInnes. The Open Girls did it the easy way, winning 2.1 over Kelvin Grove, although the score line could have been much larger due to their dominance, despite having two goals not given for offside.

Lastly, was the Open Boys verses Kelvin Grove. Cav Road started very strong and in to the game plan earning a 1.0 lead, creating numerous chances. However, just before half time we have a player shown a straight red. The team adjusted formation and continued to create the better chances but could not finish. Early in the second half, Ben Garzotto, keeper, injured his back in a heavy collision with Declan coming on. With 20 minutes to go another player was shown a red after two yellows. Unfortunately, we could not keep Kelvin Grove out and they equalised shortly after. Unbelievably with five minutes to go, we get a third red (two yellows again)! The boys managed to hold on until full time. Declan Dwyer steps up and saves three penalties to clinch us the game for Cav Road.

Congratulations to all teams qualifying for their final next Thursday at Meakin Park!

Cail Turp
Football Academy Directorr

In Touch

Queensland All Schools

Queensland All Schools was another massive event for our touch academy. Six teams battled it out over 5 days playing some very classy Touch and on behalf of Mr Loth, Mr K and me, I wanted to say a huge thank you to all players involved. Every one of you did a wonderful job representing our school and our academy to the very best of your ability.

The effort and commitment of you all to not only get there early each day, but to also stay late while cheering on and supporting each other in between was incredible. The supportive culture we have within our own Touch Academy is something that makes other schools jealous and is a key component in the success we achieve on the field too.

With 5 of our 6 teams progressing through to the finals today, the Cav Rd Touch Academy is in a very strong position as the leading Touch Academy in Brisbane. This achievement does not come easily and you have all contributed to this once again

Congratulations to our Open Boys team for making it all the way through to the Grand Final, unfortunately going down 8-6 against a red-hot Rockhampton Grammar School. RGS have now won two out of the last three Open Boys titles and our boys can be proud of their efforts. With the majority of our team still in Year 11, going one better next year is a real possibility!

Well done also to our 13 Boys, 15 Girls and Open Girls for progressing to the Quarter Final stage of the tournament. The 13 Boys were knocked out by eventual champions The Cathedral College from Rockhampton, the 15 Girls were knocked out by eventual Runners-Up Brisbane State High School, and the Open Girls fought valiantly to be defeated by a very talented Lourdes Hill team. The 15 Boys team were unfortunately knocked out in their Round of 16 match up by Iona College.

Finally, thanks to all parents for supporting your children. Going outside of normal routine can be very challenging for all families and we thank you for your flexibility in getting your child to and from the fields, at unusual times. Thanks also for turning up and supporting our teams during all the games they played. Our program and your success does not happen without our parents support so we thanks you!

Touch Celebration Evening

The annual Touch Presentation Dinner will be held on Wednesday November 1 at the Colmslie Hotel from 6pm. The evening will celebrate all things great about the Touch Football program and the students who make it what it is. Tickets can now be purchased from finance at $55 per ticket. Cut-off date for buying tickets is Monday 30 October. Please ensure you bring your tickets with you as they will go into a draw for lots of lucky door prizes. We look forward to celebrating the successes and achievements of 2017 with you!

Player Profiles

Name: Sascha Gravestone
Grade: 7
Favourite Subject: Math
Touch Club: Storm – Play in the Cav team “Keen as Mustard” under Storm Club
Most memorable touch experience: All Schools
Fav playing number and position: Link
If I could be like anyone who would that be and why: My Mum Sally, because she is awesome and successful
What I want to be when I grow up: A Physio
What my last meal on earth would be: Curried Sausages
My favourite movie is: Frozen
A place I’d like to visit and why: China because I love Panda’s
If I could be fluent in a language it would be and why: Italian because their languages sound very cool

Name: Joshua Tokam
Grade: 7
Favourite Subject: English
Touch Club: Storm – Storm
Most memorable touch experience: Winning the 2016 League Grand Final
Fav playing number and position: 5 Wing
If I could be like anyone who would that be and why: Johnathon Thurston as he is a great player and role model.
What I want to be when I grow up: League Star
What my last meal on earth would be: Cheerios
My favourite movie is: Batman v Superman
A place I’d like to visit and why: Canada as it looks beautiful
If I could be fluent in a language it would be and why: Italian as my Dads family are from there.

Cathy Farrelly
Academy Director – Touch Football

Skipping Champ

Congratulations to Alexis Collum in Year 9 who recently competed at the 2017 Australian Rope Skipping Championships on the Gold Coast. Alexis took out the Gold Medal in her 30sec Speed event and the bronze in her 3 minute Speed and Freestyle events giving her 3rd Overall National Champion.

Due to these results Alexis has been selected as part of the Australian Rope Skipping Team heading to Shanghai, China next July.

Anthony Caruso
Head of Department
Health and Physical Education

Parents and Citizens Association

Parents and Citizens’ (P and C) meetings are usually held on the third Tuesday of the month from 7pm in the Administration Block in B7. However, please note that there is no meeting in October. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 21st November 2017. We hope to see you there for the last meeting of the year. All parents and carers are most welcome to come along to meetings. This is a great way to find out what is happening at the school and to meet school staff and other parents.

What’s new in the P and C

The Uniform Shop is getting ready for their busiest time of the year with hundreds of new Cav Road students needing full sets of uniforms. New students need time to be fitted. Typically, it takes half an hour per new student to be fitted. This year, there will be a booking system for new student fittings to avoid long queues and waits. Details will be soon provided to new students with booking times available from November. Other good news is that the sports shorts are now back in stock.

Thank you Madonna, our Uniform Shop convenor and her team, for the ‘year round effort’ and especially for the extra time put into the Uniform Shop for “back to school”. If you are able to help them out over the busy period, or at any time, Madonna is always happy to welcome new or returning volunteers – please contact uniformshop@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au.

The canteen is still low on regular volunteers and would love to welcome some new helpers. If you are able to help out, even for a short time on any day, please contact the friendly canteen team on 3394 0723 or email canteen@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au.

How to participate

1. Attend Meetings
   7pm on the third Tuesday of the month in B7 (Administration Block) – note that there is no meeting in October due to the Awards Evening in the same week. The next meeting is 7pm 21st November.
2. Parents and Citizens Facebook page
   https://m.facebook.com/Cavendish-Road-PC-1372922086101301/
3. Email list
   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
4. Volunteering
   The canteen and uniform shop are always looking for helpers. If you have a little time and would like to help please feel welcome to pop in. Even coming along for a short time to assist on one of the days would be a huge help. For more information or to advise when you are available to assist please contact the Canteen team on 3394 0723 or email canteen@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au or the uniform shop - uniformshop@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au

The subcommittees are also keen for new members – if you are interested please contact pandcsecretary@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au

Ashley Chan
Communications Secretary
Cav Road Parents and Citizens Association

Canteen News

Our new Summer Menu is up and running, which will cover Term 4 2017, and Term 1 2018. Come and try our new Specials. Mexi-Tuesday is already popular. If you like something SPICY you could try our Devil Chicken Burger. We also have two new meal boxes available on Tuesdays, the Taco Meal Box, with Taco Boat, Salad and Chilli Beef and the Nachos Meal Box, which has Tortilla chips, Chilli Beef, Salsa, Sour Cream and Cheese, and of course we still have the very popular Mexi-Rice and Beef Wrap.

Another new item on the menu is the Sweet Chicken Chilli Strips with Sweet Potato Fries and Garden Salad Meal. Due to demand, we have continued with our In-House Pies, made by our chef Madonna, available Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We’ve added to the variety so that each week you’ll see a new offer. So far we’ve tried Chicken and Leek, Chicken and Veg, and coming soon, Beef Curry Pie & Beef & Bacon Pie.

We’ve also been trying some new ideas with salads in our new Salad Bowl Range, creating a variety of choices for you to select from. Also, new in the Salad Fridge is the Vegie Rice Paper Rolls. We are delighted to be a finalist for this year’s QAST (Queensland Association of School Tuckshops) Awards. The winners will be announced at the QAST Gala Dinner in early November. Wish Us Luck! We’ll let you know how we go. Calling all volunteers! We are still looking for help….especially on the second Friday of each month and also the third Monday of each month. Let us know if you can help out. We would love to hear from you.

Heather and Roberta
Canteen Co-Convenors

Homestay Orientation Evening

Have you ever thought about hosting an international student but are not sure if this is for you? We are holding an Orientation Evening at the school for our current homestay families on Wednesday 22 November at 6.00pm. These evenings give us an opportunity to update families on the current homestay requirements and for families to share their experiences as hosts. One of our international students from China will also be sharing her story.

Homestay is a great way to learn about other cultures, provide a positive influence on the life of someone living away from home, and earn some extra tax-free income. Anyone thinking of hosting a student is welcome to come along to the Orientation and discover the benefits of homestay.

If you would like to join us for the Orientation Evening please send an email to LHUXL6@eq.edu.au or give me a call on 3394 0797. I am happy to answer any questions you may have in regards to the Orientation or becoming a homestay host.

Lesley Huxley
Homestay Co-ordinator

TransLink Bus Changes for 2018

Please be advised that school bus services may change for your school in the upcoming 2018 school year. Transport for Brisbane (TFB) wish to advise parents to view the TransLink website and or contact on 131230.

TUH Health Fund Big Thank You Giveaway

Just by saying a ‘Big Thank You’ to our teachers and librarians, you can help our school win one of five $1000 prizes. Your child can also win one of 100 $50 gift vouchers just by entering. Last year, Cav Rd won one of the $1000 prizes, and five students each won $50 vouchers. We’d love to do it all again this year!

All students have to do is visit bigthankyou.com.au and say in fifty words or less how their teacher or librarian helps to inspire a love of reading. The ‘Big Thank You’ Giveaway is proudly sponsored by TUH, a health fund that was founded in Queensland 45 years ago to serve the education community. TUH is also the proud principal sponsor of the 2017 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

Rachael Cuthbert
Literacy Coordinator/English Teacher

GC2018 Embrace Learning — The Commonwealth Games learning website

A suite of rich, diverse and real-world learning experiences linked to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) is now available at the new GC2018 Embrace Learning website.

The new educational activities are part of the official GC2018 education program. They are a great way to share in the spirit of the Games and explore the cultures, sports, nations and territories of the Commonwealth. The projects are aligned to the Australian Curriculum and available across all learning areas and all year levels, with new activities regularly published in the lead up to the Games.