19 October 2018

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

Awards Night 2018

Awards night 2018 is being held on Tuesday 23 October at Hillsong Centre, Mt Gravatt. This is a great venue of sufficient capacity and we expect it will be the last time we will need to go off campus due to our Sports Hall coming on line next year. I am very pleased to welcome dignitaries and “old Cavroadians” alumni House patrons who can join us for a great evening of celebration. Photos and published list to be in our next newsletter.

Financial Transactions

Financial transactions for families for the year are reported to parents and carers regularly and they will have recently received latest statements. Of course payments to the school are only made upon direct invoice, however the statement provides a summary of the state of remaining obligations for the costs of schooling for the year. These statements contain the state of your account with us including payments made for providing resources to your student under the Student Resource Scheme, all user pay items such as excursion costs and other purchases made through the school. Our Finance team assists parents meet and manage these obligations. As the school year draws to a close, and for parents staying with us in 2019 where the new year presents continuing costs of schooling, I urge parents to check their current position to avoid any ‘surprises’. Further, specific information is available from our Finance team of Business manager, Mrs Vlaski.

Senior Formal

The Senior formal is on the minds of Year 12 students. While on the topic of finances, I do not want any situation of this nature impede a student’s capacity to attend the formal, if it can be avoided. Simply, school fees and user pay items need to be accounted for. I will assist families wherever I can, and it is fair and equitable to do so.

We have been transparent from the beginning of Year 12, where students are required to meet certain standards in order to receive an invitation. This includes financial matters, behaviour, and attendance.

I have recently written to parents and students on this matter, explaining it is my wish to see every student who wants to attend the formal be able to do so, and I have offered every opportunity to get matters in order. I also held a special assembly to ensure clarity in particular to get a message across to students who may be in jeopardy committing to costs beyond the ticket price of the formal where there is doubt on the prospect of receiving an invitation.

This means attendance of 95% or greater, and for students with genuine absence, if they miss that mark. “Genuine” absence is one that is explained by the parent or carer and that explanation provides a reason for the absence. This standard is no different than is required by Education Queensland, that students of school age are expected to attend school regularly, unless there is a “reasonable excuse” that satisfies that obligation.

Students have been able to track their attendance on their laptop all year. They know if they meet the benchmark or not. Having unexplained absences will impact on whether a Year 12 student receives an invitation to the formal. There should be no ‘surprises’ for students who find themselves in such a situation.

Public Safety Matters

Public safety matters in every school where the duty of care to students is foremost. Recently our school responded to situations that were responsibly managed to ensure students were safe. These instances are very rare, but they can be unsettling, which is often the intent of the perpetrator/s. Trespass to our school, disruptive behaviour of any person, breach of security to cause damage, posting nasty or threatening social media is not only unacceptable, it is potentially criminal.

We shouldn’t’ think that schools will be immune from such anti-social behaviour, which is designed to cause havoc rather than harm. It can seem all too pervasive and have us ‘on guard’ and nervous of the ‘next thing’. I will not have our school disrupted, but where a situation arises of such a nature I assure parents and carers that no risks are taken lightly or ignored, and response protocols designed by the relevant agencies such as Police and/or Education Queensland, are scrupulously followed.

I will inform parents to take certain measures if required should that arise according to those protocols.

As Principal, I direct the duty of care in our school and I leave the law enforcement and crime detection to the Police. We do all we can to assist the apprehension of such individuals.

There is expert consideration of managing such circumstances. I urge parents not to take rumour as fact and make decisions that are taken out of concern, but not logical. I have responded personally to every parent who has raised such concern with me as I do not dismiss any parent, but better to advise of the fact of the matter and to reassure, than allow any perception that such matters that should be dealt with, and done competently, are in hand. The latter has taken up more time in fact than any of the incidents themselves with which I have had to deal.

Our students also need to be assured they attend an orderly and well managed school and they should not participate in speculation that can distract and cause unnecessary anxiety as a result. This message has been delivered to them. I would hope that no Cav Road student has been involved.

I thank the many parents who responded to recent communications supporting and affirming the management of our school when tested by such circumstances. It is greatly appreciated that are efforts are understood.

Richard Usher BA LLB Dip Teach
Principal

Will Blair - Order of Australia Citizenship Award

At Cav, we recently nominated our School Captain, Will Blair, for the Order of Australia Secondary Schools Citizenship Awards and were delighted to be informed that Will had won! On Friday 21st September, Will and his family attended the Order of Australia Citizenship Award ceremony held at Queensland Parliament. He was presented with a certificate and commemorative plaque by Her Honour Catherine Holmes, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Will has dedicated a great amount of his schooling life to serving the needs of others. He is a highly deserving young gentleman and we are extremely proud of his achievement and tireless dedication to the Cav Road community. Congratulations Will!

Graduation Ceremony 2018

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 16 November 2018. 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 15 November. The tickets will be required for admission to the ceremony. The ceremony will conclude at approximately 11am and all guests and graduating students are asked to then leave the school grounds. Prior to the graduation ceremony, a coffee van will be available for coffee purchases. Detailed information regarding the final week’s arrangements for the Year 12s and graduation ceremony will be sent to Year 12 parents and guardians before the commencement of 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

Year 12 Formal

The time is almost upon us when our 2018 Year 12 cohort will be dressed up in all of their finery, celebrating the last 12 years of schooling at our Year 12 Formal. We are really excited about this momentous event and want to provide some vital information regarding the evening. For all eligible students attending, our formal will be held on Wednesday the 14th of November from 6.15pm at The Landing at Dockside in The Harbour Room – 44 Ferry Street, Kangaroo Point. Our venue is spectacular, with many excellent photograph opportunities available in the gardens surrounding The Landing. Students can be dropped off in Town Square near the Central Dockside Apartments and our official pre-dinner drinks begins at 6.15pm in in The River Room, however, please feel free to arrive from around 6pm to take advantage of these great photograph opportunitiess – as well as our excellent professional photographers from Prestige Photography.

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.

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 and students will be notified when photographs become available and how to order them.

If you have any questions regarding the formal please contact our Formal Coordinator, Marie Chappell mecha2@eq.edu.au or our Year 12 Coordinator, Amanda Pacek apace26@eq.edu.au.

Marie Chappell
English and Humanities Teacher/Formal Coordinator

Optiminds Success

On the 13th and 14th of October, I accompanied a team of five very talented Year 10 students (Jess Morgan, Haley Tran, Jamie Johns, Kiara Taylor and Zeke Coleman) to the Optiminds state final at UQ. This event saw students from primary and secondary schools from all parts of Queensland (and even some from Western Australia) come together to take part in challenges based on creativity and sustainability.

On the Saturday, all teams were required to present an idea in a huge youth forum that their team believed would help create a future that they would like to see. The Cav Road team developed the Youth Engagement Service, or the Y.E.S. Initiative, an umbrella organisation which would assist in the placement of students into various categories of volunteer work allowing for young people to engage and give back to their community as well as offering a more sustainable system to assist volunteer-run organisations. The team received a lot of positive feedback from both Optiminds officials and their peers and are very keen to continue developing this initiative.

On the Sunday, the teams received a new challenge similar in format to the one they received for regionals but rather than having six weeks to formulate a solution, they had three hours. The Cav Road team was one of the youngest in their division going up against other teams mainly made up of Year 11 and 12 students. They did exceptionally well and came runners up in their division receiving honours. Overall, the entire team did an amazing job and certainly did themselves and Cav Road very proud.

Kasia Kurylewska
English and Humanities Teacher

Visual Art

Congratulations to Elizabeth Akenson who received a Commendation at the recent Creative Gen Visual Art District exhibition held recently. Her painting ‘The Deep End’: Acrylic on canvas focuses on the concept of escapism.

Artist Statement:

“Living in a world of constant fear and uncertainty the silence that being underwater provides is a comforting sensation. The feeling of water on the skin is a natural concept for human beings, effectively soothing the mental state and diluting the being into a numb emotional trance. This silence transforms the mind into a sense of hiding, escaping from the world’s cruel realities.”

Well done Elizabeth.

Best wishes to all Year 12 Visual Art students who are completing their extension folios, which will finalise assessment.

Senior artwork will be on display in the week prior to Graduation Day in the Resource Centre. Students should take their work home at the completion of the ceremony.

Current Year 10 students who have chosen Visual Art (General Subject) for 2019 will experience a mixed media workshop with a fine artist lecturer later this month. The artist, Jacquie Scotcher will provide students with a full day experience, which will give students an insight to the artist’s approach to her own work including practical activities. This will equip students with a good insight and scaffolding for their future study in Visual Art.

Gen Tippett
Head of Department Arts/Hospitality

Feel Good Story

For the past two weeks, our Year 10 Philosophy class has engaged in a number of activities in an attempt to capture happiness, if this is at all possible, as an introduction to our unit on the Philosophy of Happiness.

On Tuesday morning, we tested out what sort of impact, if any, helping others has on our happiness. We walked down to the Seville Road Retirement Village to play music, talk to and play cards with the residents. Needless to say, all of the students report that this experience, of helping others, had a significantly positive impact on their happiness.

The older people and staff were extremely impressed with our students and wanted them to stay longer and to come back at some stage. A couple of girls think they might volunteer during their holidays. The way they conducted themselves would have made you all proud to be part of the Cav Rd community.

Julie Mitchell
Teacher - English Humanities AEP Coordinator

Home Economics Department

Term three saw students in 9G using the Food Choices program for dietary analysis, making recommendations for better nutrition, and then planning a breakfast or lunch based on those recommendations. Some delicious and nutritious meals were served up.

The Year 11 Hospitality students prepared and presented a range of cultural foods, pictured below.

Suzanne Schild
Hospitality Department

School-Based Youth Health Nurse

Acne

Unfortunately, acne hits people at a time when they most want to look their best. Acne can make teenagers feel embarrassed and bad about themselves.

What is it?

Acne is another name for outbreaks of blackheads, pimples and cysts. The triggers for acne include some of the hormones associated with puberty and the menstrual cycle. Acne is caused by inflammation of the hair follicles. It most commonly affects the face, back and chest. Features include blackheads, whiteheads, pimples (zits) and cysts. In severe cases, acne may lead to permanent scarring.

For some people this can be very severe, and embarrassing. But the good news is there are medications that your GP can prescribe. If acne is concerning you - talk to your pharmacist and /or GP to find the best treatment for you.

Caring for your skin

Cleansing

Try washing the affected areas twice per day. Don’t overdo it - you can cause other skin problems, such as dryness or skin irritations. Try using cleansers specifically developed for acne-prone skin. Keep hair clean and off the face and neck, as oil from the hair can make acne worse.

Make up

Choose water-based, oil-free products to avoid worsening acne by clogging the pores with oils or powder. Make up should be thoroughly removed before going to bed.

If there are any concerns about your physical health, you can talk to Sandra, your school nurse.

Sandra Chesney
School-Based School Nurse

Sport

Since our previous newsletter, we have had so many good news stories for Sport at Cav Road.

Student Success – Tiana Afoa – Year 7

Over the school holidays Tiana was a part of the South-East Scorpions team who competed at the QLD Indoor Netball State Championships. Her team went undefeated across the 4 days to win the 12 and U State Title. Well done Tiana!

Cav Road Success – Metropolitan Finals Series

Congratulations to the following Cav Road teams on these results from the Metropolitan Finals Series;

Year 8 Netball - Runners up
Year 9 Netball – METRO FINAL CHAMPIONS
Year 10 Netball – METRO FINAL CHAMPIONS
Open Netball - 3rd place
Year 7 Boys Football – METRO FINAL CHAMPIONS
Year 8 Boys Football – METRO FINAL CHAMPIONS
Year 9 Boys Football - Runners up
Year 10 Boys Football – METRO FINAL CHAMPIONS
Open Boys Football – METRO FINAL CHAMPIONS

These results finish off our Interschool Sport Summer and Winter Seasons with 16 Metropolitan Finals Champion Titles for 2018. What a dominating performance. Congratulations Cav Road!

Parents & Sport

Parents are major drivers and supporters in an athlete’s development, and help facilitate a child’s sporting development.

It is important to match your expectations with your child’s developmental status and their motivation for participating in sport. Children often play sport for fun and social reasons, competitive and performance-orientated reasons or a combination of all these factors. Nurturing a love of playing sport at any level has many benefits. Remember this is just the start of their lifelong journey enjoying sport.

Well-intentioned individuals often exhibit the traits of a ‘bad sports parent’ because they simply lack better guidance. Parents are recognised as critical support agents for their children’s sporting future. Your guidance, support and behaviour during your child’s formative sporting years can positively influence their sporting journey, enhance the parent’s own enjoyment of sport and foster an enriched bond between you and your child.

For a positive, fun and nurturing experience of sport, parents must remain positive, regardless of the result, and stay realistic in their shared expectations to avoid putting pressure on the child. You can greatly assist your child’s development through your engagement with your child’s coach, by providing a strong and positive role model and upholding integrity and respect.

Other useful resources:

• Play.Sport.Australia - the new game plan for Sports Participation developed and endorsed by the Australian Sports Commission.
• Best practice specific to the foundational levels of the Foundation, Talent, Elite and Mastery (FTEM) athlete development framework which is informed by contemporary research and practice. For a quick overview of FTEM please watch this video.

Ms Nikki Bairstow
Interschool Sports Coordinator

Chaplaincy Committee

Chaplaincy plays an important part in supporting student wellbeing at Cavendish Road State High School. Our ‘Chappy’ Margita Downey is passionate about helping students feel supported and listened to, especially students who find it difficult to fit in at school. Chappy Margita loves to run various programs for students including a breakfast club, Chappy Chill Time for Year 7s, the Drumbeat program, Gardening Club and she attends camps with the students as well. She is supported by Chaplaincy Committee (LCC) which is made up of a dedicated team of parents, local community members, school teachers and administration staff, as well as our regular and one-off donations to Cavendish Road SHS Chaplaincy via Scripture Union which partially funds the Chaplaincy Program.

Chaplaincy cannot be possible without fundraising and the LCC team. Would you be able to help? We are seeking new members of the Local Chaplaincy Committee (LCC) for 2018 which meets approximately every 6 weeks in the term. You may also like to consider giving a one-off or regular donation to Chaplaincy. For more information please contact LCC Secretary, Emma Nicholls by email enich67@eq.edu.au.

Parents and Citizens’ (P and C) Association

P and C Meetings

Parents and Citizens’ (P and C) meetings are held on the third Tuesday of the month from 7pm in the Resource Centre, enter through Gate 1. We hope to see you at our last meeting on Tuesday 20th November.

What’s new in the P and C

• We have welcomed our new Uniform Shop Convenor, Melanie Hill. Melanie is quickly learning the ropes and getting ready for the busy back to school rush
• New stock is already arriving for Back to School – stay tuned for details of the ordering processes for new and returning students. We are working on ways to make this even more efficient this year
• Volunteers are always needed in the canteen and uniform shop. Please use the contact details below to let us know if you can help out. Every little bit helps.
• Second hand uniforms – a reminder that the uniform shop is no longer selling second hand uniforms on consignment. A facebook group has been set up for parents to organise their own buying and selling. Used uniforms can also be donated for distribution to families in need by dropping them off at the uniform shop or student services. Donations in excess of need will be sold in the uniform shop with funds going to the P&C. The facebook group can be found by searching in Facebook for Cavendish Road SHS Second Hand Uniforms. As it is a closed group you will need to apply to join and wait to be approved.

Entertainment Books – these are available from the uniform shop and both books and digital memberships (loaded on your phone) can be ordered at www.entbook.com.au/2252w50. You can save even if you don’t eat out often with lots of discounted gift cards and e-giftcards on offer through your membership including Wish Cards (save on your everyday shopping at Woolworths, BWS and Woolworths Caltex), BCF, David Jones, Country Road, Supercheap, Rebel, JB Hi-fi and more.

How to participate

1. Attend Meetings
   7pm on the third Tuesday of the month in the Resource Centre.
2. Parents and Citizens Facebook page
   https://www.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:
5. the Canteen team on 3394 0723 or canteen@cavroadshs.eq.edu.au.
6. 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
P and C Communications Secretary

Lost Property

Please remember, where possible, to write your name on your personal items. There are many unnamed lost property items awaiting collection at Student Services, (B Block).

Outdoor Family Movie Night – Seville Road State School