243 Discovery DriveHelensvale QLD 4212Subscribe:Subscribe: https://helensvshs.schoolzineplus.com/subscribe

Email:Email: admin@helensvaleshs.eq.edu.auPhone:Phone: 07 5573 8555

Fax:Fax: 07 5573 8500

26 October 201726 October 2017

Principal’s Thoughts

A Successful Full School Review

As you are aware, the full school review was conducted from 9– 12 October, with 5 reviewers external to the school meetingwith students, staff, parents and community members andobserving school life. The reviewers were very impressed withmany aspects of the school and made the following partingcomments:

This is just a small taste to give you a flavour of what might bein the final report.

Over the next few weeks, the review team will produce tworeports. A summary report which is to go on our website and

• The school has a clear explicit improvement agendaas demonstrated by the Big 5 (Curriculum,Pedagogy, Assessment, Response to InterventionExtension, and Response to Intervention Support).This improvement agenda then articulates into theAnnual Implementation Plan and 2017 spotlightstrategy. Significant resources are provided tosupport the improvement agenda. We do need tocontinue to narrow and sharpen our focus each year.

• Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) were a strongtheme throughout the reviewers’ discussions andcomments. They were very impressed by the qualityand depth of student data analysis and focussedconversations that were part of the PLT process.Very comprehensive.

• There is a strong sense of pride in the school at alllevels – students, staff and community. There is astrong desire to be successful.

• Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) is focussed onpromoting young adults and is working, asdemonstrated through the students who wereapproachable, polite and respectful. There is a strong

culture of high expectations. A few of the reviewerscommented how the students actually approachedthem and wanted to talk to them. They enjoyed theengagement of students.

• The school conducts reviews to ensure resourcing istargeted and focussed on student learning. Thereviewers encouraged us to continue with thesereviews.

• Building teacher capacity and developing expertteaching teams was clearly evident through the workof effective instruction, mentoring beginning teacherprogram, pre-service teacher program, PLTs and awide range of other professional learning.

• The reviewers were impressed with the extent ofcurriculum documentation and the processes toensure the curriculum was clearly mapped out acrossthe whole school. A high standard and alignment ofdocumentation translated into what the reviewerssaw happening in classrooms.

• PLTs ensured discussions of differentiation.Programs such as LLI, FLIP and Academy programsare differentiated.

• There are effective pedagogical practices in theschool such as IMPACT(Inspire-Model-Act-Connect-Transform). We need tocontinue to align our work to these frameworks.

• School partnerships – they were blown away by theextent and strength of our partnerships. Thecommunity really supports our school.

a full report which will provide detailed affirmations andrecommendations for the school. These recommendations arenot intended to be implemented all at once. They will berecommendations that we consider for inclusion in our 4 yearstrategic plan.

I really look forward to the next 4 years and continuing with theamazing journey of Helensvale State High.

I also look forward to celebrating with you the amazingachievements of our students at the many celebrations thisterm including academic awards night, sports awards night,graduation, formal and the various Arts and Hospitality eventsthat occur throughout the term.

Important Dates

Education Perfect – QLD LanguageChampionships 2017

Last month, Education Perfect hosted the annual QLDLanguage Perfect Championships. This event runs for just oneweek and this year 171 schools took part, with over 11,000students entered. This is a massive competition forQueensland.

Students must actively participate by answering as manyquestions as they can correctly from randomly generated wordlists and other assessments. They more they answer correctly,the more points they earn. As they progress, students aregreatly improving their vocabulary and knowledge of a widevariety of languages available.

Helensvale SHS did extremely well in this competition, placing5th out of 123 other schools in QLD, in the Japanese Languagecategory. Our best result to date! This success can beattributed to the hard work of several hard working students:Jessie Foumakis, Amber Hemmings, Phoenix Belcher, LeoMatsuzaki, Keigo Seki, Lisa Matsuzaki and Julian Rogers. Welldone guys!!

Special mention must be made of Julian Rogers’ effort. Histotal score accounted for 60% of the total points earned atHelensvale SHS. This monumental performance earnt Julianthe number one ranking in the state, as well as the top prize ofa $100 iTunes gift card. Well done Julian!! We are all very proudof your dedication to improving your Japanese language skills.

NRL School to Work ProgramHelensvale SHS students Felicity Best, Holly Rawlinson, ZoeMcConville and Zayden Thompson recently attended the BondUniversity Headstart day as part of the NRL School to WorkProgram, with Melissa Lightburn, an NRL School to WorkOfficer.

The Headstart Day is an opportunity for Year 10 and 11students to gain information about the university’s faculties,what courses are available and learn about university life.

Something from SWELL SpaceAs we are in the last term of 2017, and senior students haveentered the final phase of schooling, SWeLL has begun tofocus on being a dedicated work and safe space at breakand for senior study periods. The staff are actively encouragingproductive work practices at break times to assist with theworkload students have.

In addition to the workspace in breaks, we have started ahomework club/study hall on Monday, Wednesday andThursday afternoons from 3pm until 4pm. Students arewelcome to come along to SWeLL, get assistance with workfrom our friendly staff and focus on getting their assignmentsand homework completed. We look forward to seeing studentsutilise this fantastic opportunity.

From The Arts Department

Under the Northern Stars - Arts Awards Night

Not even the overcast sky could dim the stars that shoneon Tuesday night! Whether it be the fairy lights that coveredour northern campus or the students who displayed copiousamounts of talent, our Annual Arts Awards night displayed thecreativity that our Helensvale students have to offer.

• Academic Awards – Wednesday 1 Nov

• Sports Awards - Wednesday 8 Nov

• Year 12 Graduation – Tuesday 14 November

• Year 12 Farewell Parade - Wednesday 15 November

• Formal – Friday 17 November

• Year 12 last day - Friday 17 November

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Our Northern Campus of the school transformed into aperformance stage, art exhibition and mini festival. We had thepleasure of listening to music performed by Sidney Rae andthe Maples, the school choir and even our Visual art studentLibby Hoe took to the mic to blow us away. We heard theclarinet ensemble and the saxophones echoing throughout. Wesaw performances from our Actors and Actresses at Helensvalewho took to the stage inside the PAC. The exhibition displayedoutstanding work from our Visual Art, photography and mediaart students. We also had a viewing room which played shortfilms from our talented directors in the making.

Overall, the rain could not dim the stars we have here atHelensvale High and our Arts Awards night displayed acollaboration from across all the Creative Art students. Wewould like to thank the efforts, hard work and dedication shownfrom our students and, of course, the parents and caregiverswho constantly support our students and school by coming tothese events and helping our students achieve incredible things(whilst having fun!).

From all of the Arts Staff, we thank everyone involved and lookforward to next year.

ENERGIES 2017It is that time of year again when our ENERGIES art showcaseis presented.

Energies is a regional exhibition where all Gold Coast Schoolsare invited to showcase their senior Visual Art talent in thisannual event. A non-competitive, teacher-organised exhibitionthat promotes the place and importance of Visual Art in thecurriculum and to present diverse examples of excellencestandard visual artworks to the public.

This year, Maddison Murphy, Kimberly Wong, Sofia Palladino,Yuanyan Teng, Thomas Isakson and Tayla Muller are ourexhibiting students. A huge congratulations to them for theirefforts and talent. You will not want to miss this one.

Opening night is Friday 27th October 6-7.30pm in the gallery 1space in Bundall Gold Coast Arts Centre. The show will be ondisplay to the public until 12th November. So get your visual artjuices flowing and come and be inspired by the amazing worksof 116 students from across 27 schools on the Gold Coast.

ISKA World TitlesTom Isakson is currently in preparations for the ISKA WorldTitles being held in Sydney last weekend. Tom has beenentering competitions including the ISKA QLD state Titles a fewweeks ago where Tom placed in the event.

Tom has been training extremely well over the past few monthspreparing for last weekend. The ISKA World Titles had over2500 competitors from all over the world and was held inSydney for 2017.

Tom is also preparing for the Australian Titles which are comingup in the next few weeks, this tournament will not only selectthe top competitors in the country but will also select theAustralian team for the 2018 ISKA World Titles which are heldat Disneyland biannually. This event is the biggest Martial ArtsTournament in the world and Tom is looking very good to beingselected into the Australian team.

Kyoshi Bill Wakefield, Combined Martial Arts Academy’sDirector and Chief Instructor, feels that Tom is in great shape atthe moment and is very confident to see how they do at boththe Australian Titles and World Titles.

Tom has been working extremely well and has improved in alot of areas. This is not only due to the work he is doing atKarate but also the amazing work he is doing at school and thesupport given at school.

Congratulations to Tom who won - 16-17 yr black belt teamsparring, 16-17 yr black belt Traditional Form (kata), 2nd in16-17 yr Continuous Sparring. He was then awarded GrandChampion of Traditional Kata from the Grand finals.

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AFL Juniors State Champs for 4thConsecutive Title.

On a very wet Sunday, on the “Sunshine Coast”, Helensvale’sjunior AFL team won the AFLQ Schools Cup for the 4thconsecutive year. In a very hard fought physical game, our boysovercame a strong Palm Beach team containing 3 state playersto win 4 - 7 - 31 to 1 – 5 - 11.

Both teams entered the Grand Final with a win each fromour clashes, and the game proved to be the two best teamsslugging it out. Helensvale started well and kicked 2 crucialgoals in the first term with Aidan Fyfe and Sam Hilton-Joyceproving dangerous up forward.

During the second quarter the rain came and stayed for theremainder of the match, and our boys adjusted to theconditions quickly and put their bodies on the line and headsover the footy. Helensvale’s tackling and defensive pressureparticularly after half time was a catalyst for our victoryespecially with a Palm Beach side, who would not stop trying.The on ball group of Elder Tutu, Rhys Nicholls, MackenzieRiddle and Finn Brown led the charge at every stoppage. Ourbackline worked overtime for 4 quarters and were instrumentalin holding Palm Beach to one goal for the game.

Taking out the state title is just rewards for the hard work theboys have put in and their willingness to place team footballbefore individual needs. Well done to all junior boys involved thisyear.

Goal Kickers: Aidan Fyfe 2, Sam Hilton-Joyce 1, JoelCroft 1.Best Players: Aidan Fyfe, Rhys Nicholls, Finn Brown,Jared Eckersley, Sam Hilton-Joyce, Mackenzie Riddle &Ethan White.

Coach Tindall

AFL Seniors Runner Ups in State Champs2017

Torrential rain was a major factor in determining the SeniorAFL State Schools Champions on Sunday the 15th of October2017. In character testing conditions, our Senior HelensvaleAFL side fought tooth and nail and threw everything but thekitchen sink at Palm Beach Currumbin to go down 5.6.36 to1.1.7 in the state Grand Final. In what was a wet and physicallytough grand final, with the ball best described as a wet barof soap, Palm Beach were a little more clean with the footy,however our Helensvale boys intensity and pressure could notbe questioned. The boys were professional and focused allthroughout the game and very disciplined even when PalmBeach were resorting to hitting late off the ball and niggling atevery opportunity -a trait which will hold them in good steadthroughout life and something as a coach, I myself, was veryproud of.

Both teams entered the Grand Final with many wins duringthe season, however, Palm Beach had won our previous twoclashes and the game proved to be the two best teams hittingit out. Helensvale started well with a very evenly matched firsthalf. Palm Beach kicked a few quick goals just beforeconditions worsened and the rain really came down making itvery difficult for Helensvale to make any in roads on the scoreboard.

Throughout the match Helensvale maintained fierce tacklingpressure and were led well by year 12 players, Jasper Graham,Cooper Portelli, Terry Giacoumis and Jarrod Mills. These boysdominated stoppages to get the ball moving in our directionand were relentless with their pressure.

Overall, it was an exciting and fast paced contest with PalmBeach Currumbin earning their title as State Champions.

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Helensvale SH can hold their heads very high as deservingrunners up in the Queensland competition.

Goal Kickers: Dylan LewisBest Players: Jasper Graham, Terry Giacoumis, JarrodMills, Cooper Portelli

Coach Dwyer

Queensland All Schools Touch footballtournament

Helensvale State High recently competed in the QueenslandAll Schools Touch football tournament. QLD All Schools is thebiggest schools Touch Football tournament in the world andhas teams not only from all regions of Queensland but alsofrom New South Wales, Victoria, New Zealand and Singapore.Over the five days of the competition over 450 teams competedacross 7 divisions in over 1600 games of Touch Football.

Helensvale was well represented in all seven divisions and won31 of their 38 pool games. We had four of our teams gothrough the pool stage undefeated and progress to the finals.The 13’s boys and 15’s boys teams both won their way throughto semi-finals. Both these semi-finals had to be decided inovertime and unfortunately both teams narrowly lost, howeverfinishing an amazing top four in their divisions.

Helensvale’s 15 girls and 18 mixed made it all the way throughto the Grand Final and were both victorious, been crownedstate championships.

Due to the strength of our Helensvale SHS teams across allof the divisions Helensvale received the prestigious honour ofbeing awarded the Overall Champion School from this year’sQLD All Schools Touch Football Championships and claim thehonour of best Touch Football school in Queensland.

All Schools Video highlights-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKYbjfbSv0w

Excursion Permission FormsIn attempt to make accessing information easier for parents andcarers, the school has begun uploading a copy of excursioninformation and permission forms to the school website. Thereis a link on the front website page and they can be found at:

https://helensvaleshs.eq.edu.au/Supportandresources/Formsanddocuments/Pages/Formsanddocuments.aspx?RootFolder=%2FSupportandresources%2FFormsanddocuments%2FDocuments%2FSchool%20Excursion%20Permission%20forms&FolderCTID=0x012000A05A0F4819CC0C4D892F5DED8B987567&View={64C98EE0-98A1-413F-B563-3BFA0C409666}

Gab of the Guidos

Beating Exam Stress

A helpful video on beating exam stress from the Today Showlast weekend.

https://www.facebook.com/iwakeupwithtoday/videos/1768809816487009/

The Importance of Sleep

We all know how sleep affects our life – a good night sleepmakes life’s dilemmas easier to cope with while a bad night’ssleep (or limited sleep) makes us grumpy, lethargic and mostlyno fun to be around. Sleep problems in kids don't just driveparents batty, they also affect children's health and

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development, including academic performance, growth andeven immunity.

Sleep researcher and psychologist Dr Sarah Blunden, from theCentre for Sleep Research at the University of South Australia,Melbourne (2010), stated that sleep problems – which can bemedical or behavioural – can affect memory, attention, thinkingability and behaviour including mental health issues. Forchildren there are also studies that link bed wetting with sleepproblems.

The most common cause of medical sleep problems is snoringand obstructive sleep apnoea (holding the breath), but sleepwalking or night terrors, periodic limb movement disorder orrestless leg syndrome and other conditions, such as asthmaand eczema, can also affect sleep.

Behavioural sleep problems can include difficulty falling orstaying asleep, resisting going to bed, changing sleep hours(like teenagers do), and getting out of bed during the night.

So what is enough sleep?

Research suggests without this amount of sleep, children don'tfunction as well. They're more irritable, aggressive, hyperactive,fidgety, and can't concentrate or remember information,compromising learning, and exhibiting delayed response time.They get sick more and have an increased risk of accidents. Weas adults can also relate to these symptoms.

DID YOU KNOW?

More than half of "asleep-at-the-wheel" car accidents arecaused by tired teens.

Poor sleep can affect all of us at some time. Sleep expertsrecommend the following tips. Whether you be young or old orin the middle:

If all else fails see a GP who can refer you/your child to amedical specialist, sleep physician or psychologist toinvestigate why you or your child struggles with sleep.

Adapted from:ABC Health and Well Being – Kids Need a Good Night’s Sleep by HelenCarterKidsHealth

FINANCE OFFICE & UNIFORM SHOPEXTENDED TRADING HOURS

2017 – 2018

FINANCE OFFICE & UNIFORM SHOP

EXTENDED TRADING HOURS

Operating hours are subject to change.Operating hours are subject to change.Updates are available via Helensvale State High SchoolUpdates are available via Helensvale State High School

Facebook page.Facebook page.

DATES FINANCEOFFICE

UNIFORMSHOP

MondayNovember 27th

8am – 3pm 8am –12pm

TuesdayNovember 28th

8am – 3pm 8am –12pm

WednesdayNovember 29th

8am – 3pm 8am –12pm

ThursdayNovember 30th

8am – 6pm 8am – 6pm

2nd LastWeek

Term 4 -2017

Friday December1st

CLOSED CLOSED

MondayDecember 4th

CLOSED 8am –12pm

LastWeek

Term 4 -2017

TuesdayDecember 5th

CLOSED 8am –12pm

• Toddlers need 12 to 14 hours sleep daily

• Primary school kids 10 to12 hours.

• Adolescents need about 8½ to 9½ hours of sleep pernight

• Get into a routine - go to bed around the same timeevery night and wake up at the same time everymorning. Encourage teenagers not to take `catnaps’during the day so they can sleep at night

• Investigate if there are any fears or anxieties thatmight be keeping you/them awake

• Before bed, do relaxation, breathing or visualisationexercises (imagine a happy place such as the beachor park)

• Do relaxing activities such as reading, drawing,listening to quiet music in the hour before bed to helpwind down.

• Turn off the television (keep TV out of the bedroom),computer, electronic games and other activities in thehour before bed.

• Avoid strenuous exercise in the few hours before bedbut make sure you/ your child gets plenty of exerciseduring the day.

• Avoid caffeine (soft drinks and coffee) and limit spicyor salty food which can cause thirst – and wake you/your child during the night

• Encourage your child to fall asleep on their own (evenfrom age six months - put babies down when drowsyrather when already asleep)

• Use reward systems (star charts culminating in alucky dip or favourite outing) to motivate preschooland school-age kids, especially if they are getting outof bed or coming into your bed at night

• Install a hall or night light if your child is scared of thedark

• If work is affecting your sleep seek help to managestress

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2017 – 2018

FINANCE OFFICE & UNIFORM SHOP

EXTENDED TRADING HOURS

Operating hours are subject to change.Operating hours are subject to change.Updates are available via Helensvale State High SchoolUpdates are available via Helensvale State High School

Facebook page.Facebook page.

WednesdayDecember 6th

CLOSED 8am –12pm

ThursdayDecember 7th

CLOSED CLOSED

Friday December8th

CLOSED CLOSED

ChristmasBreak

2017 -2018

Please note that the school finance office &uniform shop will be closed for the Christmasbreak from Thursday 7th December, reopeningMonday 15th January 2018.

Monday January15th

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

Tuesday January16th

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

WednesdayJanuary 17th

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

Thursday January18th

8am – 6pm 8am – 6pm

1 Weekbeforeschoolreturns -2018

Friday January19th

8am –12pm

8am –12pm

Monday January22nd

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

Tuesday January23rd

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

WednesdayJanuary 24th

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

Thursday January25th

8am – 3pm 8am – 3pm

1st Week

Term 1 -2018

Friday January26th

CLOSED – AUSTRALIADAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY

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