Bundaberg North State High School eNewsletter

From the Principal's Office

As we near the end of another term I would like to share some updates and important reminders with you.

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations and thanks to Mr. Neil Studholme, our wonderful groundsman, on his well-deserved retirement. Mr. Studholme has been an integral part of our school community for 14 years, maintaining our school grounds and ensuring a safe environment for our students. His dedication, hard work, and attention to detail have been truly commendable. We thank Mr. Studholme for his service and wish him well for his retirement.

Our dedicated teaching staff are continuously striving to enhance their pedagogical practices and provide the best possible education for our students. To support this endeavour, our teachers are currently engaged in classroom profiling. This process involves classroom observation and self-reflection, to identify areas of improvement and refine teaching strategies. By actively investing in their professional development, our staff members are committed to providing high quality pedagogical practices and this work aligns with our school’s explicit improvement agenda that focuses on Expert Teaching.

We are currently planning for the refurbishment of our school library space. We aim to create a more inviting and modern space for our students and staff, with new bookshelves and seating areas, and upgraded technology.

This week we have our P&C meeting on Thursday night at 6 pm in the Administration building. We encourage all parents and guardians to attend the Parent and Citizens meeting as these meetings are a valuable platform for parents to contribute their ideas, express concerns, and actively participate in shaping the future of our school. Your involvement is crucial in fostering a strong school community. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting and working together to make a positive impact.

We would like to remind all parents to please complete the online permission forms for the upcoming athletics event on June 22. Details are in this newsletter. Athletics provide an excellent opportunity for students to showcase their skills, build teamwork, and foster a healthy sense of competition. It is important that we have the necessary consent forms on file to ensure the safety and well-being of all participants. We appreciate your cooperation in promptly completing the form online, the link for which will close on Wednesday 21st June at 12 noon. There will be no classes held at school that day as the entire school goes to the carnival.

As the weather gets cooler, we kindly request parents to ensure that their children come to school wearing the correct jumpers. Wearing the school uniform not only promotes a sense of unity and belonging among students but also instills discipline and pride in our school community. We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining our uniform policy.

Finally, thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. We value your support and involvement in our school community. If you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Robyn Kent, Principal

Friday 5 - Students remaining at school until 3pm Term 2, 2023

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The Watson Report

School Social Sport

On Monday I had the opportunity to assist with supervision of our lunchtime social sport. This is an initiative of our year 12 students to provide more lunchtime activities and encourage students to come together for some fun. Students compete as ‘junior’ or ‘senior’ students in games including soccer and capture the flag. Social sport will run each lunchtime on Mondays and Wednesdays until week 3 next term. A great way to enjoy the beautiful winter sunshine and join in some healthy RAS House competition!

North Rewards

Reward Day is next week, Friday 16 June. To qualify for Reward Day students had to achieve 95% actual attendance between start of week 9 (term 1) and end of week 7 (term 2), with no unexplained absences and no suspensions. Yesterday students chose one of the following for their outstanding attendance efforts:

Bundy Bowl ($The trip to Bundy Bowl includes bus travel, bowling game, show hire and a $2 arcade token. This reward does require a $5 co-payment from each student. Details will be sent home to parents and carers this week.
Pizza Party (at school)
$5 tuckshop voucher.

NEW Gotcha vouchers now available! Students receive Gotchas for demonstrating the school values of Respect, Responsibility and Safety. The Gotcha Menu had been developed from student feedback and we encourage students to let us know what they would like on the menu. Lots of yummy options!

Classroom Expectations

At the junior school parade on Tuesday, I unpacked classroom expectation 3: One voice at a time. This supports our school value of respect. It is showing respect when we listen to others and give everyone the opportunity to speak without interruption. Please see the slides below that were shared with students.

Rebecca Watson, Deputy Principal

Gastro outbreak in schools

Currently in Bundaberg there are an increasing number of cases of gastroenteritis.

Gastroenteritis can be caused by a number of agents. Norovirus is one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal (GI) illness outbreaks. Norovirus generally causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain. Although in most cases the infection clears in a couple of days, it can take longer. People with Norovirus are most contagious when they have symptoms, and even during the first few days after they recover.

Norovirus spreads via the faecal-oral route. This means you can catch it by:

accidentally inhaling small airborne particles circulating in the air during or after vomiting,
getting tiny particles from the vomit or faeces of an infected person in your mouth. This might happen, for example, if the virus particles land on surfaces you touch, contaminate the food you eat, or if you have direct contact with someone who is infected,
Consuming food or drinks that are contaminated with Norovirus (sharing food with an infected person).

Students who are experiencing Gastro like symptoms should remain home and isolate for at least 48 hours AFTER symptoms resolve to avoid further spread. It is recommended that good hand hygiene is practised using warm soapy water for at least 15 seconds.

For more information on this matter please refer to the document at the link below.

Qld Health Gastro Guidelines

BNSHS Athletics Carnival

The Bundaberg North SHS Inter-House Athletics Carnvial will be held on Thursday 22nd June and Friday 23^rd June .

On Thursday 22nd June, the Inter-House Athletics Carnival will be held at Bundaberg Athletics Complex. All students are expected to attend the day, however competitive participation is optional. There will be activities organised for all students, both competitive athletics events and ‘social’ events. It is not necessary to register for events, students can just turn up and compete. There will be no organised classes at school as all students and staff will be attending the athletics carnival.

Students will be bused from school to and from the venue at a cost of $2 per student. Students pay their $2 as they enter the bus. Students will be bused back to school by 3.00pm. There will be a canteen operating on the day at the complex. Shade will be provided, however please ensure your child has sunscreen, appropriate sun safety clothing, a hat and water. Students need to be sun safe throughout the day.

Students are encouraged to participate and dress in either themed costume or house colours. Parents are welcome to attend. This years theme is 'Cartoon Crazy'.

On Friday 23rd events will be held on the school oval. On both days there will be an option to compete in discus and javelin. As these are high risk activities, a separate consent form is required for students wishing to participate, and can be picked up from the school office or L block staffroom. Students will need to show this consent form to the event marshall on Thursday 22^nd (for discus) and Friday 23^rd (javelin) so it is important they keep this signed consent in a safe place.

To provide consent for your student to travel to the Athletics Complex, please complete the online consent form by 12 noon on Wednesday, 21st June. The link will not be accessible after this time.

Athletics ONLINE CONSENT

Consent form discus & javelin.pdf

Dreamworld

It was an early 4.30 am departure for the Dreamworld excursion last week (lucky the next day was a public holiday for us to sleep in) for our combined group of Year 12 Business and Tourism students. Dreamworld provided a guest speaker about marketing and tourism which will assist students with their assignments on theme parks. During the remainder of the day, students could take note of the emphasis on safety and promoting the park as family friendly as they explored the rides and other attractions. Shopping was part of the experience – who couldn’t do without a new wand. Old favourites like dodgems competed against the thrill of the Taipan roller Coaster. With less people there mid-week, we could have numerous rides for the remainder of the day. The Corroboree animal section is designed to attract international tourists but our students also enjoyed seeing the croc and bilby displays. The train ride was all part of the fun. As the day drew to an end, we had a look at Lego Land - never too old for Lego!. Dreamworld successfully combines numerous attractions within the one park and is a vital part of the Gold Coast tourism.

Miss Rayner, Head of Department Humanities

Certificate II Hospitality - Year 11

Our wonderful group of year 11 Hospitality students have been busy this term perfecting a range of simple dishes as part of one of their units of competency. So far, we have worked on baked, roasted and pasta dishes with more dishes to come over the next 8 weeks of training.

This unit gives students the skills and knowledge required to prepare and present a range of simple menu items following standard recipes and present food to industry standards. The unit and allows them to work in hospitality or catering organisation, such as cafes, kiosks, canteens and cafeterias without the need to be a qualified cook. Dishes prepared are simple in nature, and may include fast food, takeaway food and items that have been prepared off site and need re-thermalising. These are great employability skills for many of our students who work in our local Hospitality businesses.

Kelly Austin, Hospitality Teacher

Gourmet Gallery

What does a typical Aussie family do?

Is there really such a thing? But this is what our Japanese students will be wondering as they come to stay in Australia. Simple everyday activities such as having a picnic a the beach or playing with the animals in the backyard or watching the stars (can’t see these in Tokyo due to the light pollution); could be some of the highlights of the students’ experiences with your family.

We are still looking for more beds, about 8, for our Japanese friends from Tokyo Hakuo high school when they return for two weeks, July 25^th-7^th August. It’s a great experience for them and for us.

“Families” may be from students at this school or from the wider community who would like to participate. Perhaps there is someone that you know, extended family or friends, who has a spare bed and would be good at hosting an international student for the fortnight.

Please note that host families will receive a small payment for hosting students and are responsible for their food and transport to school.

We will select families by:

Homestay Family application form
Blue card check (done at no cost to you but can take some time so start with the paperwork now)
House inspection (guests need to have their own bed but may be sharing a room with someone of the same gender)
Matching students with families eg. interests, non-allergies to pets ..

To express your interest or to proceed further with application forms, please email krayn24@eq.edu.au or phone 41300315

Katrine Rayner, HOD Humanities/LOTE/International Relations

Homestay 2022

Food Technology - Year 9C

Our year 9 Food Technology students have been working on a design brief task this term as part of their assessment portfolio. Students demonstrated hygiene, safety, cookery and presentation skills whilst preparing a dish that they designed specifically to meet the brief.

These students did an incredible job practically and I think you will agree the food looks amazing! We even had a few visitors even pop into the kitchen due to the enticing smells created while the dishes were cooking! Students should be congratulated for their efforts both on the design and practical elements they displayed. Well done 9C!!

Kelly Austin, Hospitality/Food Technology Teacher

Gourmet Gallery

This BDSSS Rugby League season, Bundaberg North SHS and Rosedale SHS commenced their inaugural partnership. This exciting opportunity allowed us to create strong sides in the Year 9/10 Boys and Open Boys divisions.

Open Boys played their final game of the season on Wednesday night. The team put in their best effort yet and were extremely courageous in a nail-biting loss against across the river rivals, Bundaberg High. Well done to all the boys for their dedication towards training and games. It has been amazing to see these students put a great effort into continuing to grow Rugby League here at North.

As for the 9/10 Boys, after some hard-fought games, they have reached the semi-final stage of the competition. All boys will be required at training on Monday after school with Danny from the Dolphins, as well as Tuesday and Wednesday lunch time. The team would love to see as many supporters possible there cheering them on against St Luke’s on Wednesday 7^th of June at 4:30pm at ATW Sporting Complex.

All player awards will be announced on the next whole school parade.

Mr Moore – Open Boys Coach

In 2024, Bundaberg North State High School will celebrate it's 50th anniversary. Please complete the form below if you would like to be involved in the planning or celebration of this event, or even if you would just like to be kept informed of the progress.

BNSHS 50th Anniversary Celebration

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Containers for Change program

Bundaberg North SHS supports the Containers for Change program and raises money for student resources. If you have empty bottles or cans and would like to donate them to North High we would be very grateful. You can either bring them to school office and staff will give them to the Tuckshop or you can take them to one of the recycling depots and quote our school code – C10002160.

Thank you for helping our school and the environment.

P&C News

Our tuckshop is looking for volunteers. Please email Jacky our convenor if you are able to offer any help jburt144@eq.edu.au

We are always looking for new Committee members. The P&C meets once each month to discuss matters of concern to the school and the school community. If you would like to connect to the P&C but are not able to attend meetings in person, we are happy to have you join the meeting via Teams or phone. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month in the conference room in A Block and commence at 6:00pm. You will find meeting dates on the school websites event calendar.

www.facebook.com/bundabergnorthhighpandc

pandc@bundabergnorthshs.eq.edu.au

Mrs Shelley Hansen, P&C President

QParents in 2025 at BNSHS

QParents is all about making parents’ lives easier. QParents is a safe, private app to help parents and caregivers manage important details about their child’s education. Once you are registered, you can sign in securely and- Make payments online- Check your student’s timetable, assessment calendar and report cards- Inform the school of your student’s past or future absence- See upcoming events- View enrolment details- Update your contact details.

From 2025, the school will be asking all parents to submit their consent for excursions through QParents. Click the link below for more information or contact the school to arrange for your unique invitation code to start your registration process.

You can watch the introductory video at the link below to learn more about QParents and how it can work for you.

QPARENTS INTRODUCTORY VIDEO

QParents Register here!

Stymie - #saysomething

STYMIE

What does Stymie do for young people?

Of every 30 young people in Australia seven will be dealing with a mental health issue, yet only two will reach out for support. Stymie works with you to give the young people you are working with, the power to say something or ask for help. We are an early intervention initiative that changes and saves lives.

Stymie empowers young people to ask for help when they need support, or if they are seeing or experiencing harm.

Stymie provides online reporting for schools. Encrypted, anonymous notifications are delivered within seconds to authorised recipients, who respond according to their wellbeing framework. The notification provides the option to include screenshots or images that validate the notification.

Being able to anonymously report, relieves feelings of helplessness for those who want to help their peers but don’t quite know how. Our purpose is to support you in creating an environment where harm can be minimised and effective action can be maximised.

Stymie can be used by anybody. It does not have to be a student at our school. The link to make a notification is on the school website front page

Raising Teens today

GP bookings now open!

Appointments are now available to visit the GP each Tuesday at North High. Students can make bookings by scanning the QR code above, which takes them to the school webpage, where they click on the MAKE A BOOKING box. Alternatively appointments can be made simply by emailing GP@bundabergnorthshs.eq.edu.au.

Bookings are completely confidential, as are all emails sent to this address. So, if you would like to provide feedback you can also do this by emailing GP@bundabergnorthshs.eq.edu.au