Newsletter - Issue 3, 2024

Message from the Principal

Welcome to the latest issue of our Newsletter.

The reality for all of us is that “work” plays a major role in our lives and it is our wish that students from James Nash get as much choice as they can in the work that they get to undertake in the years to come – we want our students to have a life of choice rather than a life of chance!

Assisting students to be aspirational, to aim high and commit to their success is a tricky juggling act – it requires just the right amounts of pressure and support.  For most of us we never really understood our potential until we were pushed to try.

With this in mind we have implemented our “Pathways Program in full this year.  This program challenges students to choose:

• Work pathways – where students study a vocational training subject aligned to their area of interest.
• Uni pathways – where students study university subjects aligned to their area of interest (if successful most of these students will receive an early offer to take up a university place).

The Australian Government has released data at the end of 2023 identifying that it is expected that in the next 10 years there will be 2,000,000 new jobs in the economy. Of these jobs:

• 59.6% will require a Diploma qualification or higher with 48.4% requiring a Degree or higher
• 11.5% will require a Certificate III or IV plus a minimum of 2 years’ experience
• 21.4% will require a Certificate II or III and
• 7.6% will require a Certificate I or Secondary education qualification.

From this data it becomes clear that success for our students requires achievement of:

• a vocational qualification at Certificate II level at least, and
• that our students with a desire for higher qualifications need the right balance of pressure and support to realise their potential to achieve a tertiary qualification through university.

It is never too early to start this conversation at home – the pathways and opportunities are endless we just need to start so our young people Engage, Empower and Excel.

Jackson Dodd,
Deputy Principal

Year 7

We are amazing.

We are fine.

We are graduating in 2029

Written by CAL7A and voted on by the Year 7 cohort, this slogan will be our slogan for the year. Great effort from all CARE classes for contributing to this competition.

The students are settling into high school, with most finding their feet. Here are some things you might like to know about Term 2.

LWB – What is it?

Period 5 on Wednesday is a subject called Learning and Wellbeing (LWB) This time is for developing our school values of Respectful, Resilient Hardworking and Positive. These values help students to develop their personal and social capabilities. Term 1 focused on Respect, an important part of building positive relationships. Term 2 the focus is on Resilience. Students are developing skills through participation in outdoor games being led by James Nash School Captains. They are also learning about cyber safety using material from https://www.esafety.gov.au/ . There is really useful information for parents also.

See the photos below of the amazing “Mr Squiggle” art work the students completed in an LWB competition last term.

Q Parents

Please register for Q Parents to access report cards and camp permission forms. Please contact the office if you are having any problems.

School Camp: Mimburri - Belli Park

Our Year 7 camp will be held in Term 3 Week 9 Tuesday 3 – Thursday 5 September. It is being held at Mimburi, Belli Park. The aim of the Year 7 camp is to develop a deeper understanding of our school values of Positive, Respectful, Resilient and Hardworking.

Eligibility for camp:

• Students will need to be financial or up to date with their payment plan.
• Have good standing points, attendance over 85%
• Even if you have returned your consent form, you won't receive an invoice if your child is unfinancial or doesn’t meet eligibility requirements.

Approximate cost: $180 - $210

TIMELINE:

Term 2  Week  8 (7 June)  Q Parents note sent

Term 3  Week 1 (12 July)  Q Parent permission notes signed on Q Parent by  12 July, late permission notes cannot be accepted.

Term 3   Week 2 (19 July)  Invoices will be issued.

Term 3   Week 5 (14 Aug)  Camp payment finalised by, late payment cannot be accepted.

Term 3   Week 9 (3 - 5 Sept) Camp Week

Students not attending camp are still expected to attend school. They will completing an alternate program.

Year 8

Gold and Silver Awards

At our Junior and Year 8 Assemblies this week, we acknowledged our Gold and Silver Award recipients. These awards are based on student behaviour and effort in their classes. Students who receive a Gold Award, have achieved ‘Excellent’ in behaviour and effort for all classes. Students who receive a Silver Award have achieved “Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ in behaviour and effort for all classes. This is an amazing achievement and these students have also been invited to a Pizza lunch as a reward to celebrate their achievements. It is important to us to acknowledge the excellent effort of these students for upholding our school values.

The Gold and Silver Awards have flowed on to be the focus of this terms Year 8 Care class challenge. On Year 8 assembly, we are focusing on ‘Every Student has a right to Learn and Every Teacher has a right to Teach.’ Students are reflecting on their behaviour and effort and how it can impact themselves and others around them. The challenge has been thrown out there for Care classes to have as many students as possible with a Gold and Silver Award for Term 2 so aiming for that ‘Very Good’ and ‘Excellent’ for their behaviour and effort in classes.

Student Achievements

Congratulations to Year 8 student Tearegan Bond who has been invited to be part of the Broncos NRLW Talent Squad. Tearegan has been identified as a player with potential and by joining the Talent Squad program, she will recieve the best opportunity to play in the NRLW competition in the near future.

The purpose of Broncos NRLW Talent Squad program is to provide advanced skill and physical development training for players who wish to progress through their local NRLW pathway.

Winter Uniform

Parents and students are reminded that JNSHS has a winter uniform that is approved by the school P&C. There are two different styles of jumpers available for sale through the school canteen. 

Branded jumpers and jumpers with hoods (hoodies) are not allowed at school and students will be asked to remove them. If you are struggling  to provide the correct jumper, please speak to your year level HOD as the school has a limited supply of loan jumpers.

Good Standing

Did you know that your students receive ‘Good Standing’ points each week when they demonstrate the school behaviour values – Positive, Hardworking, Resilient and Respect.

To participate in extra-curricula activities, a student must have 20 good standing points. Points are earnt or lost depending on behaviour during the week.

Gold and Silver Awards

Academic gold and silver awards will be presented to students during week 4 on the year level, junior and middle school parades. Students will receive a gold award if they receive excellent in behaviour and effort in all subjects. Silver awards are awarded to students who receive a mix of excellent and very good for behaviour and effort.

Greg Cooper,                                                                       Deputy Principal Year 7 & 8

Year 9

Welcome back to all Year 9 students for Term 2 2024.

I would like to personally thank Ms Becki Haines for stepping up into the role of HOD Student Services Year 9 whilst Mr Green has been on leave.  She has done an amazing job of supporting staff and students and has professionally and competently addressed the complexities that have arisen over the last three weeks.

Attendance

Our attendance to date now sits at 82.4%.  This falls well below our school target.

The most significant drop is in the 95% - 100% range moving from 44.4% last term to 19.4% for Term 2.  Absences impact on student learning.

If your child is experiencing any difficulties that are impacting on attendance, can you please contact the school to discuss support options.  

White Card

Twelve Year 9 students have been supported at school to attain their White card.  These students can now access Work Experience in the construction industry with a view to obtaining full time work in the ­future.

Gold and Silver for Effort and Behaviour

Congratulations to the 18 students who received a Gold Award for their report cards that showed Excellent Effort and Behaviour across all subjects.  Congratulations also to the 44 students who achieved a Silver Award for Excellent or Very Good for Effort and Behaviour across all subjects.

Year 10

Year 10 Students Plan Future Pathways

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To further support this process, we are hosting a Parent Subject Information Evening on Wednesday 10 July at the school from 5:30pm. It is important to us that families are included in this process and we look forward to meeting with many of you at this event. 

Please see below some additional date claimers to mark in your calendar. 

DATE CLAIMERS:

· CAREERS EXPO @ Pavilion – Week 1, Term 3 Wednesday 10 July.                                                                                                        Year 10s to attend during L & W.

· PARENT SUBJECT INFORMATION EVENING - Week 1, Term 3 Wednesday 10 July.              PA session @ 5:30 pm and Faculty Stalls in MPS to 7:30 pm

Shannon Fox,
HOD SS Year 10

Year 10 Immunisations

The Year 10 Immunisations are coming up on Wednesday 12th June for Meningococcal ACWY and Meningococcal B.

Consent forms have been given to students this week and will need to be returned with either a "yes or no" response to the school by 20th May.

Click on the link for more information on the Meningococcal vaccinations: https://www.health.qld.gov.au/.../meningococcal...

Senior News

Assessment                                                                                                                             Exam timetable has been published for Term 2 and emailed out to students and parents.  A reminder that students need to attend school if they have an exam scheduled and once the exam is finished, may sign-out to attend TAFE, Traineeship/Apprenticeship, Regional Training etc.  Assignments due dates for subjects that don’t have an exam are published in the assessment calendar that was emailed earlier on in Term 1 and available on our school website. 

Subject Changes                                                                                                                           An opportunity for Year 11 students to change subjects will be available once students have completed UNIT 1.  Students will need to complete a Change of Subject form signed by parents for this to occur.  Year 12 students are not able to make any subject changes as they are required to complete the entire Year 12 course to gain a result at the end.

Gold & Silver Awards                                                                                                                   Next week students who have received excellent for their effort and behaviour for all school subjects on their Term 1 report card will be receive a gold certificate and a voucher to acknowledge their great work.  Students who received either very good and excellent for their effort and behaviour for all school subjects on their Term 1 report card will receive a silver certificate and a voucher to acknowledge their great start to the year.  We have approximately 40% of both the Year 11 & 12 cohort being acknowledged for their great effort and behaviour for Term 1 of 2024.  Congratulations to these students and their parents.

Year 12 Head of Year                                                                                                                   We welcome Sara Costa to the role of Head of Year for Year 12 for the remainder of the year.  Gemma Martin who has been Head of Year for our Year 12s for approximately the last year and a half is leaving us soon taking maternity leave for the remainder of the year.  Gemma has done an amazing job as Head of Year and will be greatly missed.  We wish her all the best and hope that she may be able to pop back in at various times across the year.  

Science

A number of exciting events are being organised by the Science Faculty this term.  

On May 13, year 9 students have the opportunity to participate in the Brain Lab Program held on school grounds.  The program is run by MindSET-do, a widening participation program developed by the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) to increase participation in tertiary education in STEM fields.  By engaging in a series of inquiry-based activities, participants will learn about the structure and function of the brain, brain health, and meta-learning (how the brain learns).

On May 14, a group of twenty-five enthusiastic year 10 science students will be travelling to the Sunshine Coast Health Institute in Birtinya to explore a range of careers in the health field.  The Careers in Health Day will give students the opportunity to observe a health care team in action, take part in practical tasks and learn the patient-hospital cycle. It will also give students advice about how they can commence their career in health.

The year 7 Go for Gold Science class are looking forward to visiting the Wappa Falls Observatory in Yandina on May 28.  Students are currently studying the Australian Curriculum unit of Earth and Space Sciences.  They will have access to a number of telescopes for safely viewing the sun, and the opportunity to learn all things space.

The Science Faculty is also excited to announce the beginning of a new Gardening Club in May.  We have an amazing outdoor learning space behind the science block including greenhouse, pond, and large raised garden beds all serviced by rain water tanks.  However we need some help bringing the garden to life with flowers, seasonal fruit and vegetables, and popular ornamentals.  Students are invited to get involved during Monday second break, and Thursday morning tea, in any way they feel comfortable.  All resources are supplied.

The Arts

AIM Boot Camp and Twilight Concert

Recently, our Academy of Instrumental Music (AIM) students engaged in a three-day Instrumental Music Bootcamp alongside other regional schools, including Gympie SHS, Mary Valley College and Kilkivan SS. The students refined their musical skills under the expert guidance of two incredible guest conductors, Alisa Jones and Timo Jarvela. The students showcased their learning in a Twilight Concert on the Friday night hosted at James Nash SHS. The night was a great success with outstanding performances from the band and strings. The event also had support from the wider Gympie community and the Deputy Mayor Dolly Jensen in attendance. Our next AIM event is fast approaching, with the state wide Fan Fare competition being hosted at James Nash SHS on Monday the 13^th of May. We wish our competing AIM students and teachers the best of luck at Fan Fare.

From the Workbench - ITD & TTC

Year 9 Design students have utilised the digital platform Minecraft Education to communicate their design ideas. Students were tasked to design a city’s key elements that will provide sustainable living in a post-apocalyptic world. Minecraft Education provided an easy to navigate platform that allowed students to build/create using a range of materials and items to express their design choices and reflect the sustainability goals students were aiming for. 

2025 Enrolments

Enrolments for Year 7 in 2025 are now open! Enrolment Packages are now available for collection from our school office between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm. Can't make it in person? No worries! Packages will also be delivered to primary schools in the upcoming weeks.

If your student is interested in joining one of our Programs of Excellence or Academic Programs (Go 4 Gold), we encourage you to collect the Enrolment Package directly from our office. Please note that applications for these programs must be returned no later than 3:00pm on Friday, June 7, 2024.

Questions? Concerns? We're here to help! Don't hesitate to email kwalk308@eq.edu.au or call 5480 6303 for more information.

QParents

Parents, student academic reports for Term 1 will be available soon. QParents users will be able to view and download report cards online as soon as they are published. It’s not too late to register for QParents – just contact the school administration to request an invitation.

Sport Update

Uniform Shop

Winter is fast approaching! We are selling our formal winter jumpers at a discounted rate of $15. If you are interested, get in quick as there is a limited amount of stock and sizes.

The Uniform Shop is open every school day between 7am - 10:30am and 12pm - 1:30pm.

For any queries, please contact the school tuckshop convener, Ms Jodie Morris on (07) 5480 6336.

Student Absences

Students are required to attend school every day unless absent due to medical or other acceptable reasons. In the event of an absence, parents/carers must inform the school. To report a student's absence, you can call 5480 6333 and select option 1, or you can reply to the automated text message sent when your child is marked absent from school. If your child will be absent for more than one day, kindly provide the expected date of return. Thank you.

We're Hiring!

James Nash State High School is calling for Expressions of Interest for a temporary Schools Officer, Facilities.

Hours:        Full time 38hrs per week, 5 days per week

Dates:        Monday 3 June (TBC) – Friday 2 August which includes working during the school vacation period

Duties include: Attending to and arranging repairs to school facilities, delivering and collecting mail, stocktake and asset recording. Please see the attached role description for a full list of required duties

To apply, please provide a brief 2 page resume and a 1 page written statement outlining your suitability for the role.

Applications should be addressed to Tori Lidbetter, Business Manager, tlidb1@eq.edu.au, 5480 6333

Applications close 3pm Friday 17 May

Community Notices