Newsletter Term 1 Review 5 April 2019 PO Box 303 Telephone: 07 3377 9333 Email: [email protected]78 Bywong Street Facsimile: 07 3377 9300 Web: https://qasmt.eq.edu.au Toowong Q 4066 CRICOS provider number 00608A P&C: [email protected]Page 1 of 38 The Term in Review from the Executive Leadership Team Dear Parents, The end of first term marks a significant milestone for many of our students, as the Year 7 and 10 students are no longer considered to be the ‘newbies’ of our school community. It has been a pleasure working with our staff to ensure a smooth transition into Academy life for our new students. Changing schools can be a challenge and we are happy to see that our students have settled in very well. The Year 7 students had the opportunity to establish new friendships at the Year 7 camp earlier this term and the upcoming Year 10 camp will provide our Year 10 students with further opportunity to support their transition. Camps are a vital component of our education outside the classroom curriculum and it is an expectation that all students attend. For our Year 11 and 12 students, this term has been a busy one, with their focus firmly on the Diploma Programme. The exam block at the end of this term will provide the opportunity for valuable feedback on their progress. The end of Term 1 is also an important milestone for staff new to the Academy, as they have also undertaken a significant change. QASMT has an extensive induction and training program for new staff. As part of the induction and training program, staff are provided with ongoing professional development. This induction program runs throughout the first term of school, where new staff attend weekly professional development meetings. Lastly, our new parent community have also undergone considerable adjustment, as navigating the protocols and communication channels of a school can often be quite daunting. We strive to keep our parent community informed and it is for this reason that we hold regular parent information evenings. This term, we hosted the INSTEP new parent evening, year group information evenings as well as a parent speaker series preceding P&C meetings. Next term, we will conduct Parent Teacher interviews as well as an information evening for all year groups. Additionally, the launch of the Daymap Parent Portal provides families with much greater access to information, such as access to the school calendar, a student’s timetable, attendance, subject information and school notices. The Executive Leadership Team sets a strategic focus for each term and leads through intentional collaboration and professional learning. This term, the focus has been on re-writing the Responsible Behaviour Plan in response to expanding our school to a Year 7-12 Campus. We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment for students and staff, where students have opportunities to engage in quality learning experiences and acquire values supportive of their lifelong wellbeing. This Responsible Behaviour Plan is aligned to the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile attributes and Positive Education practices. It is designed to facilitate high standards of behaviour so that the
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The Term in Review from the Executive Leadership Team · 2019-09-05 · PO Box 303 Telephone: 07 3377 9333 Email: [email protected] 78 Bywong Street Facsimile: 07 3377 9300 Web:
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The Term in Review from the Executive Leadership Team
Dear Parents,
The end of first term marks a
significant milestone for many of
our students, as the Year 7 and 10
students are no longer considered
to be the ‘newbies’ of our school
community. It has been a pleasure
working with our staff to ensure a
smooth transition into Academy
life for our new students.
Changing schools can be a
challenge and we are happy to
see that our students have settled
in very well. The Year 7 students
had the opportunity to establish
new friendships at the Year 7
camp earlier this term and the
upcoming Year 10 camp will
provide our Year 10 students with further opportunity to support their transition. Camps are a vital component
of our education outside the classroom curriculum and it is an expectation that all students attend. For our
Year 11 and 12 students, this term has been a busy one, with their focus firmly on the Diploma Programme.
The exam block at the end of this term will provide the opportunity for valuable feedback on their progress.
The end of Term 1 is also an important milestone for staff new to the Academy, as they have also undertaken
a significant change. QASMT has an extensive induction and training program for new staff. As part of the
induction and training program, staff are provided with ongoing professional development. This induction
program runs throughout the first term of school, where new staff attend weekly professional development
meetings.
Lastly, our new parent community have also undergone considerable adjustment, as navigating the protocols
and communication channels of a school can often be quite daunting. We strive to keep our parent community
informed and it is for this reason that we hold regular parent information evenings. This term, we hosted the
INSTEP new parent evening, year group information evenings as well as a parent speaker series preceding
P&C meetings. Next term, we will conduct Parent Teacher interviews as well as an information evening for
all year groups. Additionally, the launch of the Daymap Parent Portal provides families with much greater
access to information, such as access to the school calendar, a student’s timetable, attendance, subject
information and school notices.
The Executive Leadership Team sets a strategic focus for each term and leads through intentional collaboration and professional learning. This term, the focus has been on re-writing the Responsible Behaviour Plan in response to expanding our school to a Year 7-12 Campus. We are committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment for students and staff, where students have opportunities to engage in quality learning experiences and acquire values supportive of their lifelong wellbeing. This Responsible Behaviour Plan is aligned to the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile attributes and Positive Education practices. It is designed to facilitate high standards of behaviour so that the
learning and teaching in our school can be effective and students can participate positively within our school community. The Responsible Behaviour plan is underpinned by our three school protocols: Show respect
Maintain safety
Take responsibility
This plan was developed in collaboration with our school community. Broad consultation with parents, staff
and students was undertaken through consultation meetings held during 2018. A full review of important data
sets relating to attendance, unexplained absences, cancellations, suspensions and exclusions, behaviour
incidents including bullying and cyber bullying were used to inform this plan. Other inappropriate online
behaviour including inappropriate use of mobile phones or other electronic devices also informed the
development process. This plan is now in the final draft stage and will be shared with the school community
once it has been endorsed.
Throughout this term, there have been a number of school events that our students have participated in. Some of these include participation in our Academy Open Day, where more than 1500 people visited our campus to see our classrooms in action. The Year 12 cohort participated in the Careers Mentoring Breakfast with professionals who kindly offered their time to speak to our students about their careers. Some of the other events this term included the Academy Cross Country Carnival, Sports Gala days and also anti-bullying awareness activities, organised by our school Chaplain Garth Calder. Another highlight of Term 1 was the Academy’s participation in the World Science Festival, which has been hailed by The New York Times, ‘a new cultural institution’. Founded by renowned Physicist, Professor Brian Greene and Emmy award-winning journalist Tracy Day, this festival has been held annually in New York for more than a decade and since 2016, held annually in Brisbane. This year the theme of the event was ‘curiosity’ and key events took place in the CBD, Southbank Cultural Precinct and the creative hub around the Brisbane Powerhouse in New Farm. In conjunction with this festival, we had the pleasure of welcoming the girls participating in STEM Girl Power Camp. Now in its 4th year, The STEM Girl Power Camp is an important initiative of Advancing education: An Action Plan for Education in Queensland, to address the lower participation rates of girls in STEM subjects and careers. Education Minister Grace Grace visited our campus to launch the 2019 STEM Girl Power Camp, welcoming 59 of the state’s brightest Year 10 students to the four-day event in Brisbane. Across the week, these young women attended workshops and networked with female role models in the STEM industry. There were a number of our staff and students who assisted with this camp and without their efforts and mentoring, this camp would not have been as successful and engaging for these girls.
Whilst our students and staff go about their daily routines, behind the scenes, the campus has been a hive
of activity with building work commenced on the new precinct. The Executive Team have worked with the
project manager to finalise the detail around fit outs, colours, carpets and materials, so that our vision for this
precinct is well and truly coming to life. The building work remains on schedule and should be open for the
DP1 students have engaged in the study of the works of the prolific poet Maya
Angelou (right) as well as the articles and essays penned and presented by the
extraordinary civil rights activist, Dr Martin Luther King. Apart from exploring the
central meaning of the texts, students applied their critical thinking and writing skills.
To demonstrate what they had learned, students participated in class discussions
and composed analytical written pieces.
DP2 students continued their study of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the works
of the Australian poet Bruce Dawe (right), which began in Term 4 of 2018. Analysis
of purpose, content, language and literary techniques employed by the authors
formed the basis of the textual study. The culminating event for the students was to
conduct one of the most challenging of IB tasks: the IOC (Individual Oral
Commentary). This assessment task requires students to choose one piece from a
selection of extracts and poems that have been studied in class and dedicate 20
minutes to annotating, analysing and designing a critical commentary. The critics
then deliver a 10 minute oral presentation in which they deconstruct the literary piece
in terms of most significant aspects of the piece as well as its form and style. Deep
knowledge and understanding of the author’s intent, the subject matter of text as well
as how it is represented through the use of stylistic devices along with the
consequential effect such choices have on the poem and the audience, is essential.
Debating
The Queensland Debating season has opening with success for the Senior A and Year 10 teams. The young, persuasive orators have been working collaboratively methodically and meaningfully for several weeks and have travelled to various locations in Brisbane to enter into a battle of minds and wit. Our intrepid debaters have clashed with other schools over such topics as “we should ban fast fashion”, “that political parties should not be able to change leaders outside of election periods”, “that we should ban private space exploration”, and “That security is more important than civil liberties in the fight against terrorism.” With each debate, our
teams are constantly improving with leaps and bounds. We look forward to their efforts next term going into the final two rounds.
Our Year 7 students have been competing in house this term and have been coached by a number of senior students. We are particularly grateful for the work delivered by Kiana Etebari who has worked tirelessly to develop the knowledge and skills of our young and aspiring debaters. Year 11 students have also been committed their time and energy to support the Year 7s; and we are most grateful for your efforts. We are currently seeking parental support for our Year sevens next term as they move into the junior secondary QDU Debating season. If you would like to help, please contact our P&C liaison Gita Akhtar via [email protected]
However, the highlight thus far in the Debating season is the fact that Year 12 student Tanae Rao (photo right) was selected as one of the top 12 students in the state to trial for the Queensland State Debating Team. Over 160 students have been involved in the trials process this year, making selection into the final 12 a significant achievement for Tanae.
GROUP 6
VISUAL ARTS
The Creative Arts have enjoyed a special start to 2019 with the refurbishment of the classroom and studio
spaces for Visual Arts. This facility will significantly support teaching and learning opportunities and enhance
students’ creative expression.
Our first Year 7 Visual Arts cohort have made a wonderful start this term embracing the work program with
enthusiasm. They are being challenged to explore their world and the world of art through studying and studio
practice. Investigating and developing through drawing, sculpture and critical thinking skills they are creating
confident personal responses.
Year 10, 11 and 12 are enjoying an exciting start having their first exhibition of artwork for Open Day.
Showcasing diverse and confident art making through a variety of media themes and forms they created a
welcoming and informative environment for welcoming visitors in to the Visual Arts space. These classes
have also had the opportunity to visit the Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art to view the 9th Asia Pacific
Triennial of Contemporary Art to enhance their studies and enjoy this most significant exhibition of works
from diverse cultural contexts across this region.
Instrumental Music
Term 1 has been an extremely productive term for the Instrumental Music department. With the addition of
the Year 7 cohort into the SMT community, there has been significant growth in the instrumental music arena.
Due to this growth and the recruiting of two new music teachers, the music department has been a hive of
activity over the first term as the programme gets up and running for the year, with many new and exciting
developments taking place.
A significant cultural change for the school has been the implementation of the Year 7 group lessons.
Students who don’t take external private tuition are entitled to a weekly group lesson that occurs during the
school day. These lessons take place with expert teachers and allow the students to develop and refine their
The Term in Review from the Department of Individuals,
Society and Technology
We have had a very smooth start to the school year and I am very fortunate to be leading a talented and dedicated team of teachers. Our Year 10 and Year 7 students are transitioning well and embracing the demands of our new curricular offerings: MYP Design, MYP Individuals and Societies and Pre IB ITGS. New for 2019 - Year 7 MYP Design
In Year 7 Design this term the students have been analysing and completing research on board games, with the goal of designing their own board game to promote house spirit. The process we have been following is the Design Cycle (see diagram) which provides a systematic method of completing research, reviewing ideas and providing a solution to a problem and then evaluating the success of the solution. This process can be applied to all subjects the students are studying in the MYP.
Students are working in groups and have agreed on specifications for their group design. They will use these to build prototypes of their design when they return in Term 2. The students have been working in groups which also allows them to develop important skills including collaboration and teamwork.
Year 7 students developing collaborating strategies – the Cup Stack Challenge New for 2019 - Year 7 MYP Individuals and Societies This term our Year 7 students have been historians exploring the mystery of Narrabeen Man. As historians, our students have been examining evidence to develop their own theories to explain what happened to Narrabeen Man. The unit culminated in lively discussions where each student paired with another student to
present and defend their theory as well as challenge the theories of others. The students recorded these discussions on their laptops using Audacity (sound recording and editing software). This is an excellent example of how technology can be leveraged to enhance learning through promoting communication skills in addition to developing sound recording and editing skills. New for 2019 – Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) As we attract students with a thirst for Science, Maths and Technology, ITGS was introduced this year at QASMT as a Humanities subject to promote and complement this passion. ITGS is a digital humanities subject which promotes critical thinking by examining the impact of computer systems on society. ITGS is a subject that incorporates aspects of both Economics and Psychology while providing a solid foundation and skills development for the Theory of Knowledge, a compulsory component of the Diploma Programme (DP.) This term, our Year 10 students put the G(lobal) into ITGS by exploring the life cycle of a computer: what are the key components (for example, CPU, motherboard, RAM, ROM, SSD), where the raw materials used in these components are mined, where devices are assembled and sold, as well as the end of the life of the computer in terms of recycling, eWaste and disposal options. We explored questions such as: How do hardware manufacturers and governments support responsible disposal of hardware? This documentary ToxiCity: life at Agbobloshie, the world's largest e-waste dump in Ghana, provides an interesting perspective of the impacts of consumerism. Now that our Year 10 students have settled into QASMT and have a better understanding of the Humanities subjects, we are offering students the opportunity to change out of Psychology or Economics into ITGS from Term 2. Please note that this change should be considered as permanent with the intention to go through to the IB HL DP ITGS course. Subject change forms are available from the student centre (library) and must be submitted within the first two weeks of Term 2.
The 2019 Australian Brain Bee Competition (a University of Queensland initiative)
Ms Elaine Wentworth, competition organiser commented “23 QASMT students completed the first regional round of the 2019 Australian Brain Bee Challenge This World Series challenge is a competition for high school students in Year 10 in which students learn about neuroscience research and also about the brain and its functions. It is a test of knowledge about important facts concerning intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, ageing, sleep, Alzheimer's disease and stroke. The content also helps to dispel misconceptions about neurological and mental illnesses.”
We await our results and are confident that our students will move into the next national round of the competition. Thank you to Ms Elaine Wentworth for organising the competition.
News from the Engineering and Technology Ambassadors
This term the Technology Ambassadors have had the opportunity to make technology more visible throughout the school through supporting such events as the Academy Games, specifically the planning and running of the Mario Kart competition section of the Games. The Technology Ambassadors have also been able to develop and enhance their mentoring and tech support skills as the school gained two new cohorts this year. A number of Ambassadors are also members of the Robotics Club, which allows them to hone their mentoring skills, particularly with the Year 7 students who are new to Robotics and require further support.
The Engineering Ambassadors have made a good start to 2019, meeting regularly to plan for upcoming events. A new initiative is a regular Quiz Challenge where students can try out the challenges and enter a competition for small prizes. In addition, we are in the process of planning a week of Robotics fun and activities for Term 2, Week 2, which will allow students in the school community to have a go at building and programming a simple robot, during their lunch breaks. Thank you to Mr May and Ms Bebbington for their leadership. Robotics Program Our Robotics Program is expanding. We have many new students who have joined our program with almost 80 students in our Friday robotics CCA. We have purchased new LEGO kits for the Year 7 students and introduced Arduinos for our Year 11 teams. We are thankful for the support of the P&C Robotics Group as they fundraise and compete for grants so that we can build capacity and provide a wider variety of opportunities for more students. Ms Bebbington commented “The National Championship Robocup Open Maze competitive team are well underway in their building and testing for the International Championships in July. They have constructed prototype base robot and are currently working on programming the various functions for motion and heat and colour detection. We are very excited to watch their progress as they prepare for this exciting and prestigious competition.”
BlueShift Business Competition
Mr Michael Colquhoun commented “This year we have three Year 11 teams (11 students) that have been willing to roll up their sleeves and do some hard work outside of class hours in this annual interschool student Business Case Study Competition. This year the students are working with the Australian wide company, Iglu student accommodation, to analyse a real world problem that they are facing and through research and creative team collaboration the students will produce some solutions and recommendations for the business.”
We wish all three teams the best as they compete in this tough competition and look forward to them all making the final round at QUT in May. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday.
Madeleine Brookes, Head of Department Individuals, Society and Technology
The Term in Review from the Department of Life Sciences
Curriculum
The Life Sciences Department has certainly had an event filled term. Year 12 Biology students submitted their final internal assessment and Sports, Exercise and Health students are well on their way to writing theirs. Year 12 students have also continued to refine their research and critical thinking skills as they collect and analyse data in the experimental phase of their Extended Essays. Our Year 7 PHE cohort have developed the MYP approaches to learning skills of communication and social skills through their exploration of the statement of inquiry for their unit, that “for a team to function effectively, individuals must communicate efficiently and use appropriate interpersonal skills”.
Sport
Our Sport Program has kicked off with resounding success this term. Our new students have thoroughly enjoyed the program, improved their individual and team skills and had plenty of fun in the process. At the time of writing our Year 7 students are proudly representing QASMT for the first time at the Junior Summer Gala Day. Teams are competing in basketball, volleyball and touch football and I’m sure they will give their best on the day. Our senior students also competed in their Gala Day earlier this term. QASMT came away with two Pennants, with our open girls’ basketball team going back to back with another win and our open boys’ cricket team proudly victorious. Congratulations to both teams and all competitors, as well as team managers and coaches who supported their teams on the two Gala Days.
QASMT students have also been very successful in representative sport this term, with our students representing the Northern Eagles district in swimming, volleyball, netball, basketball and soccer, and the Met West region in swimming and volleyball.
The Cross Country and Walkathon provided students an opportunity
for physical activity and team spirit, while also proving a challenge as
runners made their way up heartbreak hill. Hawking and Franklin
House were well represented in their highly anticipated carnival debut.
House pride was clearly evident and the war cry competition was hotly
contended, with Franklin claiming victory in their stunning entrance into
the competition. Congratulations to Newton, who finished the day as
carnival winners and well done to all participants.
The Term in Review from the House Dean of Franklin
What an exciting start to the year we have had in Term 1! Academically,
students rose to the challenge across all year groups. Year 7s are busy
submitting final assessments for the term, Year 10s got into the swing of
Academy life, completed SET Plan interviews and went to Camp at Noosa
North Shore. Year 11s settled well into the IB DP, Year 12s confidently
submitted their IAs for Language and are completing their IOC. Whilst the IB is
a rigorous curriculum, good time management, organisation and strong goals
can be a student’s best friend.
In terms of Positive Education and GROWTH, our focus this term has been on
building relationships. During INSTEP we have asked students to get to know
each other through a variety of activities, provided opportunities to make new
friends, develop curiosity, be mindful and cultivate strategies to de-stress.
House Spirit has been in the spotlight with excellent participation in our Cross Country and Blue Dragon
Walkathon event. It was an impressive sight to see everyone dressed in yellow, cheering our serious
competitors and raising money for a great cause. Franklin congratulates Newton on taking home the
trophy; however, Franklin House is particularly pleased to celebrate winning the war cry! I would like to
congratulate all of our runners who placed top ten:
Year 7 Year 10 Year 11 Year 12
Rachel Gao Emma Murphy Esha-Al Cader Tara Begus Samuel Wuttke Hugo Hung
Alejandro Pena Gonzalez (1st) Mason Pitman
Alex Garson (1st) Aiden Trevor Isaac Arli Rugved Pawar Cameron Woodley (1st)
Aryaman Chhaya
Please enjoy the summary of events this term as told by two of our Franklin students:
Year 7 Camp
Year 7 camp was a wonderful opportunity for everyone! The activities were really fun and engaging. They challenged us and helped us grow as IB learners. Camp was a great way to learn more about our House and our peers. There was also many interesting opportunities. The food was great and the staff took wonderful care of us. There were activities to suit everyone's likes and they really challenged us all. At camp, there were many challenges to overcome but we rose above them all. There was lots of friendly competition between Houses and teams contributed to House Spirit. But I believe all Houses did really well! Thank you to all the wonderful teachers! By Esha’al Cader (Year 7, INF02)
We had a wonderful turn out to our first P&C Social "Getting to Know You" gathering on 31March 2019. Please join our P &C Facebook page to keep up to date with upcoming events.
We are hoping to have a similar response for the Year 7 and 10 Parent Social.
Date: 5 April 1.00 – 3.00pm (approx.) Year 7 parents stop by before school pick up. Year 10 parents, camp will be returning to school @ 3:00pm so a great opportunity to stop by before you pick up your campers!
Venue: West Toowong Bowls Club (across the street from SMT). Cash bar and food. Casual attire.
Music Support Group
Our new Music Support Group (MSG) hit the ground running in Term 1. In collaboration with school staff, the MSG has already applied for several grants including the Community Gambling Grant and Yamaha Great Start Grant. Funds from these grants will allow QASMT to purchase much needed musical instruments to accommodate growth of our Instrumental Music (IM) Program. The MSG has also made a submission to the P&C Opportunity Fund to purchase musical instruments. This is a great P&C initiative and will certainly help build capacity and improve access to music education at the school.
This year the IM Program doubled in student numbers and several new ensembles were formed. Groups
have already performed at school events including our Open Day. A number of exciting performance
opportunities are planned for the rest of the year and students would love to have large audiences
demonstrating their interest and support. The next MSG meeting will be held 6pm – 7pm Tuesday, 30 April,
2019 in the HUP, QASMT. All welcome.
Robotic Support Group
The Robotics Program is off to a strong start with our experienced seniors stepping up to mentor the Year 7s
and senior students new to Robotics. A systematic program has been put in place to ensure all students have
a solid understanding of the basic engineering and programming concepts of the different Robotics platforms.
With our school expansion there has been a strong growth in the size of the Robotics Program at QASMT this year. The help accommodate this growth, the P&C Robotics Support Group has set a target to raise $10,000 covering the cost of new equipment and to support long-term sustainability initiatives such as the hiring of alumni mentors. The Robotics Program is also seeking to bridge the gender gap in STEM through a focus on coaching opportunities for our girls, which can be ramped up more quickly with additional funding.
We are off to a good start with our first fundraising event seeing families’ purchase discounted Education EV3 Core Sets, which will be ready for collection on Friday 5 April in time for the holidays. Our highly energised group of parents have also been looking for further fundraising opportunities, sponsorships and grants with the hope of increasing capacity and exceeding the initial target to allow even more students to take part in weekly Robotics activities. The Robotics Group plans to submit a proposal to the P&C Opportunity Fund to help build capacity and accommodate growth in the Robotics Program.
QASMT has had great participation in the QDU Brisbane Secondary School competition during Term 1. There are five Year 10 teams with some students debating for the first time. Year 11 has four teams and there is one Senior A team. Round 1 and 2 have been completed with QASMT hosting a group of Year 10 debates. It has been a wonderful opportunity for other schools to use our facilities. Well done to all our teams and thank you to our parent and staff support.
Students, parents and staff attended the QDU State Selection Debate at UQ on Monday 25 March to support our Year 12 student Tanae Rao who was one of twelve students competing for a place in the state team. Tanae has incredible debating skills and we were fortunate to witness a fantastic speech and excellent delivery. We applaud his commitment and achievement to progress to this stage.
We look forward to parent support for the following rounds next term which will also include the start of the Year 7 debates for which we have eight teams. Planning is underway for a student/parent debating meet and greet.
Creativity, Activity & Service (CAS) Support Group
A call out was posted on the P&C Facebook page for parent volunteers to supervise QASMT students at
Vital Connection’s Soup Kitchen, run one Saturday a month for the year. Volunteers are still needed. Please
contact Beverley Rosenberg at [email protected] if you are interested.
Transportation Working Group
A team of dedicated parents have launched the Transport Working Group with the goal to identify priority issues and to implement practical solutions to our students’ transportation challenges. Next step: be on the lookout for a survey to all parents, students and staff that will help our group collect data to identify and prioritise our most critical transportation issues.
Doug Rosenberg, P&C President
Click on the links below to contact the P&C and learn more:
Facebook - closed group for parents, peer support/discussion, news, event details, resources, photos and
more
Join the P&C here - free and easy, be “inside the tent”!
https://volunteersignup.org/Q4Y9K - read about and sign up for P&C roles, large and small
P&C Intro - P&C Intro - an introduction to the P&C with key contacts