10 June 2021

Newsletter Articles

Executive Principal News

It was a privilege to be able to attend the Volleyball Schools’ Cup up in chilly Toowoomba recently to cheer on and support our Stretton Volleyball Academy students. What a great weekend of spirited competition it was! Of course, as in any sporting competition, there were winners and losers. There were many teenagers who experienced the dizzying highs of success, and those who felt the letdown of not being as successful as they were hoping for.

It reminded me of an article I have recently read about so-called ‘learning from failure’. How many times do we hear that failure is a ‘teachable moment’, and that we learn more from ‘failure than success?’ In a 2017 commencement speech, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, actually wished the graduating class ‘bad luck’ so they’d have something to learn from!

Failure can sometimes have the opposite effect and can sometimes thwart real learning. Often when we fail, we tend to give up and tune out to avoid negative self-talk and feeling ‘bad’ about ourselves. Sometimes, we never learn from the ‘failure’ experience. I’m sure many parents will attest to having those conversations with children about learning from mistakes. We do tend to learn when failure is less personal e.g. when we learn from the failure of others. Maybe there are more teachable moments to be learnt from the mistakes and hard-won lessons of our friends and colleagues?

I personally think that we shouldn’t magnify the mistakes of our children. Perhaps adults are more adept at looking at failure and learning from it, but teenagers and young children, not so much. Let us spotlight the success of our children, and point out to them what they’re doing right, rather than what they’re doing wrong.

How many of us felt motivated to improve after a teacher told us that our effort at writing that English essay was just not ‘good enough’, or that we are ‘underperforming’ in a subject? I’d hazard a guess to say that not many students would be inspired or motivated to succeed with negative comments like that. Sometimes we would prefer to run in the other direction.

For most students and adults, thinking about success will help them achieve more. Students can learn as much about resilience, grit and perseverance, from success, as when they are focusing on an outcome or goal they’ve achieved, they also are thinking about the way they got there and what they had to overcome first.

It is vitally important that we ask our young people to tell us about a time they really ‘nailed it’. This will give them an opportunity to relive a win as well as reflect on any obstacles they faced along the way. To use a volleyball term, instead of focusing on that ball that you ‘shanked’, let’s focus on that great ‘spike’ that won the game!

Let’s always remember that struggle plus success is a powerful combination.

Until next time,

Jan Maresca
Executive Principal

Illaweena Principal News

As adults and parents, we know that school makes up a relatively small but important part of our lives. It is the time in our lives where we shape our careers, and we find our strengths and weaknesses. I continue to remind students that school is a time to take every opportunity available to them, whether that is in the classroom, or whether that is being involved in extra curricula events. It is about making every moment count.

This week, our instrumental music students have been in the spotlight, in more ways than one, with performances at the gala concerts. Not only is it great to see the students performing, but it is great to see the large number of students who have been in the instrumental music program since Year 4. This shows dedication and commitment, which is an excellent attribute for all students to have.

In early Term 4, we will see 12 students participate in the Kokoda Challenge, a 48km hike through the Gold Coast Hinterland. These students have been living the ideals of the Kokoda spirit, which includes Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice. These values take their origin from Australian soldiers who fought on the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea during WWII.

On a daily basis we see students doing great things at Stretton, to do and be the best they can. I encourage all students to chase their passion, and to be involved with something that is bigger than just themselves.

This week on assembly, I spoke to the students about travelling to and from school. On the Illaweena Campus, the modes of transport can be quite varied from walking, riding a bike or scooter, catching the bus, oor getting picked up. For our senior students it may be driving their own vehicle to and from school. It would be no surprise that next to the work traffic, school traffic is the next busiest time of the day when traffic and travel are at a peak. So, for our young people, it is important for them to be mindful of how they travel both to and from school. This may include:

• Crossing roads at designated traffic crossings
• Waiting an extra minute for the pedestrian walk light
• Parking in designated parking zones
• Driving to suit the conditions

During the first part of next term, the Illaweena Campus will be holding its second round of Parent Teacher Interviews. This is another great opportunity for parents to connect with their child’s teacher to hear about their learning. To facilitate a larger number of interviews, the next round of interviews will actually be held on Tuesday 20 July from 9.00am to 5.00pm. More information about the booking process will be sent home via email.

Brad Stewart
Illaweena Campus Principal

Gowan Principal News

All children need to feel that school is a safe place where people will care about them, where their needs for support, respect and friendship will be met, and where they will be able to get help to work out problems. Belonging is very important for children’s mental health and wellbeing. Research into children’s mental health has found that a sense of belonging and connectedness at school helps protect children against mental health difficulties and improves their learning. (Kidsmatter.edu.au 2018)

At Stretton State College, we are extremely fortunate to be part of a Prep to Year 12 family. There are multiple opportunities for our students to feel that they belong every day in our school community. This week we saw our diverse P-12 culture on display at our Instrumental Music Gala Concerts. Watching our students and staff work together to produce impressive performances demonstrated how wonderful our school is at building the wellbeing of the whole child through extra curricula opportunities

Up Coming Events

The end of the term always brings much excitement about finalising units of work and sharing with parents how much has been learnt this year so far. This term is no exception. In the last few weeks of the school term there will be several special events taking place. Please review all school communication to stay up to date with all that is happening. It is very important that your email details are correct on our system so that you receive all school communication.

2022 Enrolments

Our 2021 Pre-Prep transition to school program will begin in Term 3. 2022 Prep enrolment interviews have begun. If your child was born between 1 July 2016- 30 June 2017, they are eligible for Prep in 2022. Students will be eligible to participate in the pre-prep transition program upon the acceptance of their enrolment application.

Enrolment packs are available from our website and are to be submitted via email to the following address. enrolments@strettonsc.eq.edu.au

A reminder to our all of our Year 6 families that your enrolment continues onto the Illaweena Campus and there is no need to fill in any enrolment forms. There will be a tour and talk for current Year 6 families on the Illaweena Campus. Please refer to the Year 7 Deputy Principal article for further details of this tour.

Parent Teacher Interviews

A reminder that all students will receive their first formal report card at the end of the term via email. Parents are invited for a Parent Teacher Interview in Term 3 on Wednesday 21 July from 3:00pm to 7:00pm in the Gowan Hall. Parents will receive a link and instructions on how to book a parent teacher interview online along with their student’s report card via email in Week 10.

School Attendance – Every Day Counts

Did you know?

Research consistently shows that higher student attendance at school is associated with higher student achievement, a recent statement suggested that for every 4 days a student is absent from school that they score 10 points less in their next NAPLAN test.

Regular attendance at school is very important and will mean that your child has a better chance in life. Your child will achieve better when they go to school all day, every school day. Children who regularly miss days of school risk missing important learning concepts which in turn can mean that they have gaps in their learning. Sometimes these learning gaps have an immediate effect of a child’s learning and achievement. While some children the effects are not evident until they reach high school.

Not attending school one day a week might not be seem much, but missing one day each week means that a child misses out on about two weeks of lessons each term. This would amount to eight weeks a year, almost an entire term of learning would be missed.

Under Queensland law, you must ensure your child of school age is enrolled and school all day, every school day unless they have and acceptable reason, illness, or competing in a school sporting event, etc. are acceptable reasons for being absent from school.

Parents should avoid keeping children away from school for birthdays, shopping, holidays, visiting families and friends, if they sleep in, looking after other children, minor check-ups or care such as haircuts. Routine medical or other medical appointments should be made either before or after school or during the school holidays.

Every day does count. Providing our children with every opportunity to learn and succeed is important and one way parents do this is by ensuring that their children attend school regularly.

Racheal Jones
Gowan Campus Principal

Year 9 Deputy Principal News

Year 9 Camp

Last week, 128 students attended the Year 9 Camp held at Maranatha Recreation Camp, Yandina.

We were gifted with beautiful sunshine each day as students set out on their activities in their team groups. Students dialled up their grit, bravery and teamwork as they completed the activities that ranged from raft building, abseiling, canoeing, bridge building, short rope courses, walking trails and night adventures.

The milk crate challenge – known as the tower of tremble was a particular favourite for the students where bravery and trust in each other was paramount for success. The lessons that students learnt about themselves and their peers was gratifying to watch as they completed all of their activities.

We are grateful to the amazing team of teachers who attended the camp, with special thanks to Year 9 Coordinator Mrs Alex Burns for all of her work preparing for the camp:

Mrs Alex Burns
Ms Anna Ferguson
Ms Adele Johnston
Mr Dale Henderson
Mr Luke Higgins
Mr Aidan Nosenzo

Without the support of this fantastic team, students would not be able to experience these wonderful opportunities.

Heather Boreland
Deputy Principal Year 9

Year 7 Deputy Principal News

On Monday and Tuesday nights we were once again treated to the melodic sounds of our Instrumental Music ensembles performing at their Gala Concerts. These concerts couldn’t happen last year due to COVID and it was great to use the recently named Duncan Pegg Performing Arts centre for the very first time. A huge congratulations to all students for their excellent performances and a very big thank you to the Instrumental Music team, especially IM HOD Julie Stewart, for the enormous amount of time and effort to run four concerts in two days. Another wonderful example of the Stretton Spirit shining through.

Year 7 2022 – Tour and Talk

Please see below, details for the Year 7 2022 Tour and Talk on Tuesday, 15 June. This opportunity is open to all parents of current Year 6 students only. We are looking forward to welcoming parents to our Illaweena campus to experience what we have to offer your child for Year 7 and beyond. Along with a tour of the campus, you will also receive information regarding Year 7 as well as having the opportunity to ask questions over a light morning tea.

To secure your place, please go to Sobs at

Bookings are essential as positions are limited.

Adam Hornagold
Deputy Principal Year 7

Year 5, 6 Deputy Principal News

Science Club Lab Afternoon

By Felicity Le and Emily Hansen (5A)

On Wednesday 26 May, all members of the Gowan Science Club travelled to the Illaweena Campus, seeking an opportunity to learn more about Science with the assistance of our 2021 Science Ambassadors. All the members of the club were divided into their own Year levels to even our knowledge about our science topic for the day. We researched about plant cells and took our knowledge to a microscope. The ambassadors taught us the skills necessary to understand how microscopes work and what plant cells are. Then we conducted an investigation (under supervision of the Science Ambassadors) to identify the plant cells of an onion membrane. Using our prior knowledge and newly learnt skills, we collected data and revised our Inquiry Question by filling out a revision and research sheet. We appreciated the opportunity to partake in this experience and we have brought our new understanding of microscopes and plant cells back to the Gowan Campus.

Bat Incursion

By William Gong and Albert Huang 5A

On the 19 May, Jennifer and Alicia from Bat Conservation and Rescue Queensland Inc. came to Stretton to share knowledge of bats in Australia with us. They brought two furry friends named Stephen and Sooty. We learnt all about bats, especially flying foxes. There are 4 species of flying foxes in Australia. They are the Grey-headed flying fox, the Black flying fox, the Spectacled flying fox and the Little Red flying fox. Flying foxes are very important to our ecosystem distributing and dispersing plants all over Australia and reproducing our forests. We learnt all about how they help our environment and why they are important. Also, the people from BCRQ informed us that bats are becoming endangered from heat stress events and habitat destruction. Overall, we learnt many facts about flying foxes and how to help them in return for their environmental contribution.

Lauren Highman
Deputy Principal – Years 5, 6

Year 1, 2 Deputy Principal News

In the coming weeks you will receive your child’s end of semester report card. These report cards provide you with information about how your child is progressing with the Australian Curriculum at their Year level. Throughout the semester, our students complete a variety of different assessment items and these occur at different stages of teaching for a variety of purposes;

Assessment for learning includes diagnostic assessment and helps us to understand where students are in their learning to inform teaching.

Assessment as learning includes monitoring tasks to provide feedback and allows teachers to identify which concepts students have demonstrated and those which require review.

Assessment of learning takes a variety of forms (eg. written work, short answer response exams and oral presentations) and allows students to demonstrate what they know and can do with their new learnings with developing independence at the end of a unit of work.

We share with students that assessment pieces allow us to learn about their learning, thinking and how we can help them moving forward. In our character education programs in the classroom, we support students to develop a growth mindset towards all aspects of their learning and display grit to complete their best work at all times. When discussing assessment and reporting it is a wonderful opportunity to support your child to develop a growth mindset.

Active School Travel

Active School Travel continues here at Stretton with students surveyed on Travelling Tuesdays about their mode of travel. Congratulations to our winning Active Star Trophy classes for the past fortnight 3C and 1H. Last week all families received notification of an upcoming opportunity for all of our Prep-Year 3 students. As part of a grant secured in partnership with our P&C, all Prep to Year 3 students are being offered the opportunity to participate in a scooter skills class to practice safe scooting. It is hoped that all of our students can participate in these sessions to support safe and Active School Travel. Please ensure you return your child’s completed permission slip to their class teacher by this Friday June 11.

Rebecca Solomon
Deputy Principal – Year 1

Prep Deputy Principal News

The Art of Facilitated Play in the Classroom

Play as a pedagogy aims to bring deeper levels of engagement to children in meaningful and relevant ways that enhance academic skills alongside the development of skill for life. Play alongside explicit instruction is a powerful approach to access curriculum content. Play-based learning provides opportunities for children to actively and imaginatively engage with people, objects and the environment. When playing, children may be organising, constructing, manipulating, pretending, exploring, investigating, negotiating and make sense of their worlds.

Children may also:

• Explore relationships, learn to resolve conflicts and regulate their behaviours
• Have increased feelings of success and optimism as they act as their own agents and make choices
• Develop resilience and the beginnings of empathy as they begin to understand other points of view
• Test and apply their new found knowledge

How do you encourage ‘play’ at home with your child?

• Visit a local park
• Make sock puppets and act out your favourite story
• Have a picnic outside in the sunshine
• Design an obstacle course in your yard
• Encourage imaginative play with different professions – be a vet, doctor, singer, or set up a restaurant!
• Build with lego or blocks together

Learning to be Learners – Highlighting a few of our Strategies

Our Prep teachers have been reinforcing high expectations around behaviour and safe play. Explicit lessons, including picture books, role-playing and modelling help support students’ problem-solving and social skills. We promote the use of the High 5 strategy and emotional regulation to manage feelings and reactions. Visuals and consistent language are used across all classes to help students identify how they are feeling and ways to return to the learning zone or safe play. Parents are encouraged to reinforce these visuals and their messages at home.

Prep 2022

If your child was born between 01 July 2015 and 30 June 2017 they are eligible for Prep in January 2022.

CHECK OUT OUR COLLEGE WEBSITE PAGE AND DISCOVER OUR PREP TAB FOR INFORMATION ON OUR PREP AND PRE-PREP PROGRAMS.

Families are encouraged to enrol early for 2022 to ensure you receive information on our Pre-Prep transition opportunities. All enrolments may be found on our College website and must be submitted to our enrolment officer via email. We have exciting opportunities in the next term to support a successful transition to school. Students who have completed the enrolment process will receive an invitation to attend these events and participate in our Transition programs.

Terra-Lee Peters
Deputy Principal Prep

Gowan Inclusion Deputy Principal News

NCCD- Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disability

As a parent, guardian or carer, what do I need to know?

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is a yearly count of students by all Australian schools across the country. The aim of the NCCD is to provide the Australian Government with information about the number of students with disability in Australian schools and the type of adjustments they need in order to access and participate in education on the same basis as other students. From 2018, the NCCD will be used by the Australian Government to inform funding for schools, known as the ‘student with disability loading’.

If you are a parent, guardian or carer of a child with a disability who requires ongoing adjustments at school, a teacher or another school staff member will consult with you to understand your child’s needs. This collaborative approach ensures the most appropriate adjustments are chosen to support your child’s learning and participation at school. In some cases, an individual education plan (IEP) or personal learning plan (PLP) may be developed to document specific educational goals and to review your child’s progress over time.

Your child will be included in the NCCD if they require ongoing adjustments at school due to a disability as defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 This link will open in a new window (the DDA). This is a very broad definition of disability, which includes physical and intellectual disabilities, learning disorders such as dyslexia and dysgraphia, and mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 (the Standards) set out the obligations of schools towards students with disability. Information for parents, guardians and carers on the DDA and the Standards about how schools can work with students and their families is available at Disability Standards for Education: A practical guide for individuals, families and communities.

If your child has a disability, your child’s school will provide information about them for the NCCD, including:

• your child’s year of schooling
• the category of disability that best describes your child’s difficulties (one of four categories is chosen by the school team to reflect your child’s greatest area of need: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional)
• the level of adjustment your child receives at school (one of four levels is chosen by the school team to reflect the type of support your child requires: quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary adjustment, substantial adjustment, or extensive adjustment).

The information collected by schools for the NCCD will ultimately be provided to the Australian Government Department of Education. In some cases this will involve the school passing the information directly to the Department. In other cases the school will provide it to its state or territory government agency (or other relevant body) in the first instance, and that agency will then provide the information to the Department.

While it is not possible for schools or families to ‘opt out’ of the NCCD, the privacy and confidentiality of all students and their families is treated with utmost importance. Data is collected within each school, and personal details, such as student names and other identifying information, are not provided to local or federal education authorities.

Related resources

• Fact sheets for parents, guardians and carers about the NCCD
• Disability Standards for Education: A practical guide for individuals, families and communities

Louise’s Lunchbox

What children eat during childhood can influence their future eating habits, weight and health for life. A balanced and varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is vital for energy, brain function, growth and development. Food preferences are influenced by a constant barrage of junk food marketing and an abundance of unhealthy options available in the places that they live learn and play.

Try to include the following foods in your child’s daily lunchbox:

• Fresh fruit
• Crunchy vegetables
• A dairy food – cheese, milk or yoghurt
• A protein food – slice of lean meat, hard boiled egg
• Grainy food – wholegrain bread, a roll, flat bread, fruit bread or crackers
• Water

Foods high in fat and sugar such as chips, lollies, high sugar muesli bars or soft drinks won’t help your child get the most out of their school day and should be left out of the lunch box.

Ideas for your child’s lunchbox

• For small children keep serves small and cut up wherever possible.
• Sandwiches can be prepared and precut the night before or on the weekend, frozen then taken for each day’s lunchbox. Suitable fillings that can be frozen include cooked lean meat, reduced fat cheese, baked beans or vegemite. Defrost in the fridge overnight and add salad in the morning.
• Cut up veggie sticks the night before when cutting up the vegetables for dinner and put in a tub ready for the lunchbox.
• Stop the sandwiches from going soggy by placing tomato between the lean meat, reduced fat cheese or lettuce.
• Cut sandwiches into different shapes such as triangles or fingers.
• Ask your child to list their top 10 sandwich fillings or put the list on the fridge. This will help if you are stuck one morning and need to make something in a hurry.
• To introduce your child to wholemeal or wholegrain bread why not try zebra pattern – ½ white ½ wholemeal sandwiches.
• Ensure you vary the items to keep your child interested in food and to prevent boredom.

Louise Klarwein
Deputy Principal – Inclusion

The Duncan Pegg Performing Arts Centre

We were honoured to officially name our beautiful Performing Arts Centre (PAC) the Duncan Pegg Performing Arts Centre on Friday, 4 June. This was a fitting tribute to our State MP’s support and advocacy for our College over the past 6 years. In particular, Duncan Pegg has been a very strong supporter of the Arts and our Instrumental Music programme of excellence.

It was wonderful to have all four of Duncan’s brothers attend the ceremony as unfortunately he was unable to attend due to ill health. Along with other special guests which included Dr Jim Chalmers, James Martin, Stretton Alumni, past Campus Principal, Geoff Latta and past and present P&C Presidents, the audience enjoyed musical performances from the Symphonic Band, String Ensemble, a vocal item from three of our Stretton Alumni from the Class of 2020 and student reflections.

This week the Instrumental Music Gala Concerts were the first performances to be held officially in the Duncan Pegg Performing Arts Centre.

For Good

From the Guidance Officer

PARENTS’ RESPONSES TO THEIR CHILDREN’S EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION - MATTERS

The way in which parents regulate their own emotions plays an important role in the emotional development of their children and this may be compromised when parents experience psychological distress.

Emotion regulation in parents

Supportive responses to children’s emotional expression facilitates appropriate emotional expression, while non-supportive responses may contribute to poor emotional competence, social coping and behaviour.

Parents need to be able to positively manage their own emotions to be able to effectively help their children regulate their emotions. Parents with difficulties in emotion regulation are more likely to respond in a non-supportive way to their children’s negative emotions.

The impact of psychological distress on emotional regulation

Parents’ psychological distress is a risk factor for poor emotion regulation and non-supportive responding to children’s emotions. Parents experiencing psychological distress may find it more difficult to return to a calmer state and to respond to their children’s negative emotions in appropriate and adaptive ways. Parental difficulties with emotional regulation have been linked to higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

So, what is a strategy that can help?

Shelly Gable, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, identified four possible responses to sharing good news: active-constructive, passive-constructive, active-destructive, and passive-destructive.

Let's imagine your child just told you that they got into the school musical. Here are Gable's four possible responses:

1. Active-constructive: the parent is enthusiastic, interested and supportive. He or she might say, "That's brilliant news! I'm so pleased for you. Can I help you prepare?"
2. Passive-constructive: the parent seems positive but their response is muted and with no enquiry. They say, "That's nice," with no real interest or enthusiasm.
3. Active-destructive: in this scenario, the parent energetically belittles or reinterprets their son /daughter’s good news, focusing on any negative implications. They might say, "Seriously? It looks like more work; how will this affect your studies? It doesn't sound that great to me."
4. Passive-destructive: Parent barely acknowledges their son/ daughter’s announcement or changes the subject. A typical response might be, "I see. Anyway, guess who I saw while I was doing the shopping this morning".

Of these four responses, active-constructive is the one that has a positive impact and can boost the quality of relationships with your children. It makes them feel listened to, and it validates the event's importance to them. Positive, engaged responses can build and rapport. Ultimately, they are a cornerstone of personal, professional and team successes.

As positive interactions accumulate, they can have effects that go far beyond the initial conversation. Feeling positive can boost happiness and confidence, and reduce stress.

Disclaimer: The above was adapted from an article in “Inpsych” and the “Mindtools” website.

Hope you enjoyed the read. I know I certainly need to work on my own personal emotional regulation when responding to my daughter’s emotional needs.

Yanina Briffa
Guidance Officer

P-3 Sports Fun Day

We would like to invite you to Stretton’s P-3 Sports Fun Day to be held on Tuesday 15 June on the Gowan top oval. Students in Prep to Year 3 have been working hard in their PE lessons to develop skills in their Athletic events and would love to showcase all of these skills on the day.

As the name suggests the day will focus on the students having fun and maximum participation. There will be no points awarded or an overall winner. The relaxed non-competitive atmosphere is aimed at students participating for enjoyment rather than winning.

Students will work through a series of modified Athletic activities at the following times:

• 8.45-9.45am Prep
• 9.45-10.45am Year 1
• 11.30-12.30pm Year 2
• 1.30-2.30pm Year 3

Students are encouraged to wear their house coloured shirts on the day (Hollows Hawks – Yellow, Paterson Panthers – Red, Cowan Crocs – Green, Bradman Bulls – Blue). It is also important that all students and parents have the following on the day:

• Hat
• Full Water bottle/s
• Sunscreen (applied at school or home).

PLEASE ENSURE ALL YOUR CHILD’S BELONGINGS ARE MARKED CLEARLY

Thank you.

Rachel Noble
PE Teacher

Lighthouse Excellence Program

Lighthouse applications for our Academic Excellence program for 2022 are now open.

Please use the link below which will take you directly to our website for the online application form.

2022 Lighthouse Applications

Testing for current Year 3 – 6 students will be held on the Gowan Campus on Saturday 24 July, 9.00am – 11.00am.

Applications will close on 21 June, 2021.

Any queries regarding the application process please contact Lighthouse Coordinator, Ms Tracey Blackman tblac133@eq.edu.au

Senior Schooling

We are fast heading towards the end of term and there is lots going on in Senior Schooling. We are in the final throes of Unit 1 assessment for Year 11 students. Year 12 students are completing Unit 3 and the Year 10 students are working hard towards their subject selections and pathways for their two-year senior journey. A reminder that it is important that students attend school every day as missing days at senior level can impact on their ability to stay on top of their work and stay on track. Make every day count!

We are also happy to announce that Ms Farrell is now officially our Senior Schooling Industry Liaison Officer and will be working with our senior students across a variety of areas including work experience, resumes and cover letters, post schooling options and much, much more. The senior students are very lucky to have her in their support network.

Thank you to all students and parents who attended the Careers and Subject Expo. It was a wonderful event and it was great to get to speak to so many of you. I loved seeing so many students engaged in their futures.

Assessment

A reminder that it is important for senior students to meet all drafting and final assessment deadlines. Extensions can only be given by the QCAA and not the teachers. Students need to make sure if they are ill, they have a medical certificate and apply for an AARA through Ms Gillies, Senior Schooling Deputy Principal. All AARA applications are made through either Ms Gillies or Guidance Officer, Mrs Briffa. Students who do not submit work will receive a result based on their draft. If a draft is not submitted, and there is no final assessment, students will not have met the requirements for the course and risk not being on track for their QCE credits.

VET Subject Requirements

A reminder that for students who have signed up to study VET subjects at Stretton, it is a requirement of these courses that students have their own laptops and be a part of the BYOD system and signed up to the school network. Some students are not bringing their laptops and are falling behind in their theory components which result in them being withdrawn from sport on a Wednesday afternoon. Please ensure that your student has their laptop charged and are taking it to school for their subjects.

Year 12

Year 12 students have been busy with the submission of their final rounds of Unit 3 assessments. With only 15 school weeks until the end of year exams, students are heading towards the end of term with a mixture of exhaustion and excitement. It is important that they attend all their classes and commit to the final leg of their schooling journey to ensure that they are set up for success on their chosen pathway. Destination interviews will begin in Week 8 and I am looking forward to having discussions with the seniors around their post schooling options.

Year 11

Year 11 students are coming to the end of Unit 1 and the first opportunity to bank their first round of credits towards their QCE. It is important that students are attending all of their classes and remaining on track. Students should be meeting all drafting and assessment deadlines. Students’ progress will be reviewed and pathway options discussed with students. There will be a limited opportunity for students to make subject changes at the end of this unit, however, priority will be given to those students who are not successful in their current subject choices.

Year 10

Year 10 students have been powering along with their subject choices for their senior pathways. It has been wonderful to already have had so many conversations with students about their post schooling pathways and subject choices- keep it coming! Those students who are looking to study off campus (TAFE/SBA/SBT), work experience, university or through Brisbane School of Distance Education will be given an Expression of Interest form to complete and return so that they can be considered for these positions.

Job Opportunities

Year 12 students have been emailed a number of post school apprenticeships and post schooling opportunities. Senior students are reminded to continually check their emails so that they do not miss any opportunities that may come their way.

We do occasionally help students by advertising any part time jobs that come through Senior Schooling but students are reminded that Ms Farrell and I are able to check students’ resumes and cover letters before they apply for positions.

“If the plan doesn’t work, change the plan but never the goal!”

Vanessa Garvie
HOD Senior Schooling

Student Services Years 11, 12

Things are heating up for Year 12

Last Monday our Year 12 students celebrated the ‘100 School Days to go’ until graduation day. The morning break was spent taking the annual group photo, indulging in yummy treats and having photos taken at the selfie board. The realisation of so much work left to do and not a lot of time has started to sink in and our 12’s are doing some great work to achieve their goals.

Well done on IA1

Recently I invited 38 Year 12 students who achieved a perfect result on their IA1 task to a light afternoon tea. It was wonderful to be able to bring these students together and reward them for their determination and grit on their first task this year. I look forward to hosting more events for Year 11 and 12 students in Term 3 to continue this recognition.

Year 12 Formal and Mystery Bus Tour

The Formal and Mystery Tour is most definitely getting closer. A reminder that this event is on Monday 13 September at Brisbane City Hall. Doors will open at 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start. Students who have met their Senior Schooling obligations and have their full fees paid will be provided with their invitations in the near future. Final payment for both of these events is Friday 20 August.

Year 11 Camp

Next week our Year 11 students will be participating in their annual camp at Maroon Outdoor Education Centre. This is always a highlight for students in Year 11 and I have no doubt that they are going to have a fantastic time. Students who are not attending the camp will be provided with learning activities here at the college and an alternate timetable will be provided to these students at the beginning of Week 9.

Nathaen Moore
HOD Student Services, Years 11, 12

Industry Liaison

Find your passion!

Year 12 students, it’s less than 100 days to go here at Stretton. Believe it or not, you soon will have all the opportunities in the world, if you want to and are willing to work for it.

Isn’t this exciting! You finally can follow your true passion. It doesn’t matter if you are dreaming about fixing cars or being a lawyer, as long as you do what you love, it will not feel like working (well most of the time).

But what if you haven’t found your passion yet? That’s okay, as you are young and there is no harm in trying a few things out before committing to an apprenticeship or University degree. Talk to people who work in the industry you might be interested in, go to career Expos, travel (as far as Covid lets you), start with entry level jobs, gain work experience or maybe even think about your hobbies and how you can turn them into a career. Sooner or later you will discover a profession/ industry you can feel passionate about it.

Year 12 students, it’s now time to apply and research jobs you are interested in. You can use websites like:

Come and see me in the Senior Schooling Office, if you need help with your resume and cover letter and please always make sure that your passion for the job is reflected in your application.

Daniela Farrell
Industry Liaison Officer

Kokoda Youth Challenge Gold Coast 2021

Awareness of the Kokoda Campaign

This year Stretton is entering three teams in the 2021 Kokoda Youth Challenge on the Gold Coast.

Our teams for this year are:

Team 1 Teacher: Mr Ben Lewis - Students: Ayrton Best, Bridget Goode, Cooper Lau and Jerry Li.

Team 2 Teacher: Ms Jillian Black/Mr Dale Henderson – Students: Jordan Hill, Eden Gray, Nina Sang and Xavier Tepoorten.

Team 3 Teacher: Mr Dan O’Brien – Students: Boaz Chen, Caleb Gold, Nathanael Kaszta and Nina Sang.

Reserves: Cooper Evans, Liam Upston.

These courageous Year 12 students and teachers will take on the Jim Stillman's 39th Battalion 48km 33 Hours School cup on the Gold Coast 17-18 July, 2021. They will tackle Australia's toughest team endurance event to change lives of Australian Teens.

We aim to spread awareness of the heroic defence of Australia against imminent invasion and the spirit of our young soldiers, instilling the Kokoda values of Courage, Endurance, Mateship and Sacrifice into the community of today.

The Spirit of Kokoda demonstrates that when we work together, look out for each other, and show commitment to a task, things that at first seem impossible, suddenly become achievable.

These students have been training very hard over the last couple of months in preparation for this event.

We have held two fundraising money boards, both raffles were won by one of the Kokoda Team Member, Eden Gray. The students will be selling another fundraising board over the next couple of weeks. Thank you to those families that have supported or donated to our Team so far.

If you wish to donate to our Stretton Kokoda Challenge Teams, please click on the following link:

Ben Lewis
Kokoda Challenge Coordinator

Gowan Music

Choirs

Thank you to all of those students who are attending choir every week. It is very important that students come to all rehearsals, as that way the choir can learn the songs together and develop at the fastest rate. If students are away frequently, it can really slow down the progress of the rest of the choir, as extra time is spent revising things done in previous weeks. If students miss too many rehearsals, they may be asked to sit out of upcoming performances. If your child changes their mind about being in choir, please let the choir conductor know (Ms Mairead Matthews for Senior Choir; and Mrs Claire Hornagold for Year 2 Choir and Year 3 Choir).

Year 2 Choir performance

The Year 2 Choir will be performing on assembly in the last week of this term, on Monday 21 June. Parents of choir students should have received an email from Mrs Claire Hornagold last week, giving more information about this concert. If you did not receive the email please contact Mrs Hornagold at chorn63@eq.edu.au. We are very excited about this next performance!

Yours in music,
Mrs Claire Hornagold, Ms Mairead Matthews and Mrs Victoria Taylor

Instrumental Music

This week we held a series of Instrumental Music Gala Concerts. For some students this was their first time performing in front of an audience. There were 88 Year 4 students proudly wearing their instrumental music uniform for the first time and their beaming smiles were just as enchanting as the music they played.

We now have approximately 450 students in the Instrumental Music programme and to see them all on stage over the two nights of the concerts was a feat in itself! Congratulations to all of our ensembles, their performances were proof that all of that practice pays off! As the students’ skill levels increase, it was a great opportunity to show parents the advancements that their students have made throughout the year.

I would like to thank all of the Instrumental Music team. Their commitment to the Instrumental Music programme enables events like this to come to fruition.

Thank you for your support of Instrumental Music!

Julie Stewart
HOD - Instrumental Music

Chess News

Stretton Chess Students Display Grit

On Tuesday 1 June 2021 Stretton State College had 24 Gowan students participate in the Brisbane Logan Interschool Chess Tournament. Congratulations to the following students who competed:

Joshua Chen (5I), Marlon Chen (1J), Martin Chen (3A), Mason Chien (4A), Janice Fan (1I), Jayden Fan (3G), William Gong (5A), Lawrence Guo (3A), Terrence Guo (6C), Austin Li (2H), Mason Lin (1H), Shallon Lin (3D), Edward Lu (4A), Kevin Lu (2C), Lucas Lu (5A), Riday Mehta (3C), Ramneek Shahi (3J), Henry Wang (5A), Arielle Zhang (1K), Ethan Zhang (5A), Jaden Zhang (3H), Brandon Zhao (2E), Bosheng Zheng (3I) and Deric Zou (5A).

Excellent sportsmanship and effort throughout the competition was displayed by all students. Students showed the Stretton SPIRIT, representing Stretton State College with pride.

Stretton had a C division team place 3rd overall and an A division team place 2nd, just missing out on 1st place due to the tie-breaker method.

Congratulations to all students that competed.

Rachell Grace
Chess Coordinator

Thinking Routines in 1F

Thinking Routines in 1F

This year 1F has been experimenting with thinking routines influenced by Ron Ritchhart. As a teacher I believe incorporating thinking routines into our lessons are beneficial to the students learning because it can create a culture of critical thinking in our classroom and as stated by Project Zero, “Thinking Routines loosely guide learners' thought processes and encourage active processing.”

This week we decided to do a See Think Wonder routine in regards to our National Simultaneous Storytime book called, Give Me Some Space! by Philip Bunting. The first thing we wrote about was what we saw in the book and used our describing words to explain it. We then got our thinking brains on and interpreted why we saw it. Finally, we wondered all about space. We created the following thinking posters in small groups. We were each given a chance to have a go and share our thinking with everyone. At the end we came back as a whole class and shared our learning.

Our wonderful work

1Fs Thinking faces!

Chloe O’Connor
Teacher, 1F

P&C Association News

Our latest fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday 24 July. A great activity for all the family! Paint and Sip is where you can express your creativity while being guided by an artist who can give you all the secret tips and tricks for painting success. Bring your friends and enjoy a sip while you paint! If you would like a cheeky Saturday afternoon/evening wine or beer while you paint (adult sessions only) BYO your favourite tipple for some fun and laughs with friends. Light snacks will be provided for the adult sessions but feel free to bring something yummy to share with your friends as you get creative.

Tickets are $45.00 per person for Student Session and $55 per person for Adult Sessions and can be purchased via the links below.

Limited places are available for each session, so get in quick, as tickets are selling fast.

Thank you for your continued support of our initiative. Together we can make a difference to enhance the fantastic facilities and opportunities that are available to our students at our great College.

P&C Executive

Staff Profiles

In each edition of the newsletter we are introducing members of our staff. This fortnight we would like to profile Catherine De Pellegrin from our Illaweena Campus.

Catherine De Pellegrin

This is my first year at Stretton State College, and I am delighted to be teaching in a high-school setting after 7 wonderful years teaching, lecturing and tutoring at Griffith University, where I was involved in the High School Preparation Program, the Degree Entry Program, the Australian Business Skills Program and the Bridging English Program for Year 12 students.

Here at Stretton I teach Italian to Year 7 and Year 8 students, and I am hoping that many of these will continue their Italian studies through to year 9 and beyond. I am passionate about the Italian language and all things Italian, having lived In Milan for ten years and going back there regularly – well, before Covid anyway! I have also set up the Italian Club at Stretton for students who wish to improve their Italian and gain extra speaking and writing practice outside of class. So far, we have enjoyed three Club meetings with our hot chocolate, biscuits and fun activities every Wednesday in P4. I am hoping that the Italian Club will grow next semester with more students joining.

Teaching at Stretton State College has been a great experience so far, and it is wonderful to be part of the Stretton Community. My new colleagues are a fantastic and very supportive group of people. I also really enjoyed meeting with the parents of some of my students earlier this Term, and I hope to meet more of them at the next round of Parent/Teacher meetings. Best of all, I meet with my 140 students each week and observe their Italian language skills improve as each week goes by.

I am looking forward to the rest of 2021. Arrivederci!

Science News

Once again, our bustling Science Department led by our dedicated teachers, laboratory officers and our Science ambassadors has achieved significant strides in the pursuit of Science.

Gowan Science Club

Last week we had 60 Year 4, 5 and 6 students being taught how to use microscopes by our UQ Science ambassadors. A HUGE thank you to Mr Steel and Dr Ryan as well as student teacher Mr Gear for their assistance. Our ambassadors were amazing and incredibly knowledgeable, and the students loved the session.

Stem Safari P-12 Connection

This week we also have our Year 6A and 7A Science lighthouse classes attending the Gowan and Illaweena STEM Safari. Mrs Highman, Ms La-Sala, Mrs Singh, Dr Lane and Mrs Ryalls accompanied students on an expedition to investigate the effects of seagrasses as the dominant habitat-forming component of Moreton Bay. Our UQ Science Ambassadors Nathan, Ardra, Minh, Cynthia, Jocelyn, Felicity, Ariana were also attendees. Students gained hands-on experience in gathering primary data in order to determine the relationship between a variety of abiotic factors and seagrass survival.

Stem Horizons for High Achievers

The STEM Horizons for High Achievers program enables students to engage in exciting STEM Fields and broaden their understanding of the applications of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. For the first time, six of our high-achieving Year 7 students were selected to represent Stretton State College: Niya Jiss, Salma Ashraf, Michelle Grace Joshy, Julia Henalla, Hamna Kashif, Misty Lee-Nair. Students participated in two consecutive days of activities. We hope you enjoy their reflections of the two days:

‘STEM Horizons for High Achievers has been a great opportunity for me to work alongside likeminded peers and to extend my knowledge of STEM in two action-packed days. The programme gave me a closer look of the world right under our noses and a glimpse into the future of medical research. On Day one, at Griffith University, I learnt about Brisbane’s waterways and participated in a hands-on experience examining minuscule creatures up close. A highlight of the day for me was seeing the freshwater flatworm under the microscope. On the second day, at the TRI building, I spent a day in a lab (with oversized lab coat and all) and got to work with cancer cells. I also did gram staining, a technique used to differentiate between two different kinds of bacteria. Both experiences were captivating and exciting and I hope that in the future more children like me will be inspired by programmes like this.’

Niya Jiss – 7A

‘One of the most exciting events from STEM was catching fish, insects, and other organisms in Mimosa Creek. I enjoyed classifying creatures that we caught in Mimosa Creek and comparing them to the ones from the other test site the most. A surprising thing that I learnt from STEM was learning that the cells we used were from a lady from around 1952.’

Misty Lee-Nair – 7A

‘Being able to attended STEM Horizons for High Achievers, was a great opportunity for me to experience the real world and to learn more about biology, working in labs and a bit about ecosystems too. The part that I enjoyed most was Day 2 at TRI, PA Hospital. We were able to work in the SPAR-Qed lab with bacteria cells and cancer cells, as well as what would happen if we added differentiating water levels to the cancer cells, and seeing the outcome under microscopes. At Nathan Campus, we went to a water source, tried to find different fish species that were found before in the murkiness. Hamna and I weren’t too successful since all we found were moss, dead leaves and more moss, however we did catch a very jumpy crayfish, of which both of us were scared of. Both days were quite adventurous for Julia and I, since not only the events were amazing, but our bus ride there as well.’

Grace Joshy – 7A

I would like to thank the teachers and students for all their hard work and participation in our curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Andreea Ryalls
HOD Science

EAL/D News

Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who, with their soul, encourages another person to be brave and true. Charles Dickens

Guest speaker – Wellbeing Workshop 2 – ‘Making Connections’

On Wednesday 27 May, our EAL/D recreational activity group once again enjoyed the benefit of having Ms Adele Johnston (Director of Positive Education), present a second Wellbeing workshop – this time it was about ‘Together is Better’; it was about reaching out and making connections with others. Reaching out and communicating with others plays a very important role in the lives of all of us – not only to talk to another person, but also to know that there is someone to talk to.

Although we have ready access to technology and use it in a variety of ways to communicate, the more we’re immersed in using devices, the less we actually really communicate with others. There is no replacement for having human contact and a sense of connecting with other people.

This workshop also informed students about ways to do this, for friendship and support, and they can apply this knowledge well into the future, with the intention to promote and enhance their wellbeing. We thank Ms Johnston for sharing her time and passion of this topic, with us.

Ms Anna Wilkie
EAL/D Teacher

Gowan Library News

Gowan Library News

The Premier’s Reading Challenge is now underway! The reading period for the 2021 Premier's Reading Challenge is from Monday 10 May to Friday 27 August. The number of books each student needs to read are listed below. Recording sheets can be collected from your class teacher or the library.

The latest Scholastic Book Club catalogue is now out. You may place your order online via the Scholastic Loop website:

Orders must be placed by 11 June.

Happy reading,

Sara Effron
Teacher Librarian

Helping Hands

Helping Hands June newsletter is out now. Details in the following link:

Sports News

Football Academy

Last week Ms Plumridge, Ms Lynch, Ms Riley and Ms Hutson coached the boys and girls Under 12 s Southern Scorpion District teams. Congratulations to all our football academy players who participated in this day. Special congratulations to Cody Tringale who was selected in the possible and probable side and Strahinja Skavo and Matilda Wise who were selected in the Met West team.

Gala Day Wrap Up

Last Friday our Gowan Football Academy competed in the final round of Gala Sports for Semester 1. Congratulations to both the Girls 5A team and the Boys 6B team who continued their dominating performances finishing the season undefeated, winning the premiership. Outstanding! Once again thank you to our Coaches Ms Hutson and Ms Riley as well as our highschool helpers Lachlan McDonald, Gurshaan Sandhu, Ashton Bonsall, Fletcher Wise and Dante Bardell who helped coach, support and referee our games.

SFL – Southport Match

Last Monday our Illaweena Football Academy played in the Schools Football League against Southport State High School. It was a tough day for the boys sides, who lost both of their games. Students showed lots of grit and perseverance as they were missing many players. Well done to the boys who stepped up from the junior side to back up the seniors. The girls were very unlucky to lose 3-1, with a young team that is improving with every game they play.

Volleyball

I would like to express to students who participated in the Intermediate Schools Cup in Toowoomba just how proud I am of our Volleyball Academy students. Everyone who was at the tournament, staff and parents alike, would attest to the integrity, determination, grit and perseverance on display by our students.

After a tough weekend, the Year 10 Boys came fourth. A team who came tenth last previously, went back to the drawing board, worked hard and put themselves in contention for a medal this year. This is a true display that doing the hard work behind the scenes when no one is looking can reap the rewards of their dedication at competition time.

The Year 9 Boys who also worked extremely hard displaying perseverance and grit after losing a couple of key games, managed to pick themselves up and finished fifth. A very good achievement and a team that is very close to cracking that top 4 spot to fight for a medal, so continue grinding boys!

Our Year 9 Girls consisted of players with various playing experience. This team has a number of new additions who have only started playing this year and other girls who have been playing a while. The team managed to portray great teamwork, support each and have fun while competing against quality sides. These girls managed to come away with a bronze medal and easily could have been fighting for silver and gold!

And last but not least, our Year 10 Girls team, led by Olivia Ryan came away with gold at the tournament. An amazing feat by the girls who played outstanding as a team. As I watched these girls, I was in awe of just how much they have grown and the high level of Volleyball they were playing.

A very special shout out to Jodie Jansen, Maddie Bartholomew, Jenna Lawrence, Renee Karamanov and Yousef Yousef who dedicated their weekend to coaching our students. I know myself and the rest of our Volleyball Academy family are super grateful for your ongoing, above and beyond effort in helping our students blossom into the great people they are.

Rugby League Academy

Karyn Murphy Cup – Year 7-10 Girls

Last week our Girls Rugby League teams competed in the Karyn Murphy Cup. While the focus of the competition was on developing skills and increasing participation in girls Rugby League, both teams finished the day winning all OF their games!

Year 7/8 Player of the day: Te Rina Pearse
Year 9/10 Player of the day: Tiarn Neho

Struddys Cup – Year 8 and 9 Boys

The Year 8 and 9 Boys Struddys Cup teams have started the season with 3 wins! This week is a top of the table clash for both teams against Mabel Park SHS.

Round 3 Results vs Bellbird Park SSC

Broncos Cup – Yr 7 Boys

The Year 7 Boys have had a tough start to the season against some of the top teams in the competition. The boys have showed good signs improving each week and are mixing it with the best schools in South East Queensland.

Broncos Cup Year 10 Boys

The Year 10 Boys have started the season with a great win over Woodridge SHS. The boys were placed under pressure early in the game but came away with a 32-10 victory. This week they play Bellbird Park SSC.

Gowan Rugby League

On Monday the Year 4-6 Rugby League Academy students travelled to St Francis College to play another Rugby League Academy school. Both teams put on an entertaining display winning both games. The future looks bright for our Rugby League Academy!

U15 Years Met West Rugby League

Congratulations to Xavier Kirk who represented Met West last week at the U15 Years Rugby League State Championships. Xavier’s team were able to make the grand final but finished as runners up to South Coast. Xavier was named player of the match in the grand final. Well done Xavier!

Community Notices

Kids Connect Program

Griffith University is running a Kids Connect Program which is for children aged 8 to 11 years with Autism Spectrum Disorder who have social skills difficulties and includes 10 child sessions and parent sessions, commencing in Terms 2 and 3 of 2021. Please see the link below.

Places are filling fast. Interested parents can contact the Psychology Clinic for more information on 07 3735 3301 or via email at psych-clinic@griffith.edu.au.