2016-03-03 - Whitsunday Christian College

Whitsunday
Christian College
March 3, 2016
Excel in Truth and Grace
Dear Families, Friends and Students of Whitsunday,
Often we learn about situations around the world where assistance is desperately needed and wonder how we can help.
Recently Tropical Cyclone Winston (Category 5) impacted
parts of Fiji significantly. I’m sure many of us have seen images of the devastation and the effect on Fijian communities.
Peter and Julia Farrell, parents in our school community, are
involved in the aid relief for Fiji and would like us to be aware
of two avenues to donate.
between 7am and 3pm Monday to Friday. The shipment, for
which Peter and Julia will be paying all shipping costs and
duty charged, will be sent off early April. Donations received
after early April will be sent off in the next shipment.
School families have been involved in assisting people in
these communities in the past. We have another opportunity to make a huge difference in the lives of these Fijian people. As a school community, let’s embrace this opportunity
to bless others in great need.
For money donations, the Farrell’s have set up an international fund so people can pay online. To do this, simply go to:
https://www.indiegogo.com/.../barefoot-fiji-loloma-levu...
Peter and Julia are also doing an item donation drive for the
following items:
Tarpaulins
Rope/String
Hand fishing lines and hooks
Large pots and pans
Storage containers to collect water in
Basic building supplies (hammers/nails etc.)
Garbage Bags to keep any belongings they may have been
able to salvage dry
Baby Formula
Nappies
Mosquito Coils/Insect Repellent/Nets
Candles
Matches
Soap
Washing Powder
Basic medical supplies - disinfectant, plasters, bandages,
painkillers
Clothes (please ensure all are washed and clearly labelled
by size and gender)
Donations can be dropped off at their office on 2 Waterson
Way (between Harcourts and the Chiropractor)
God bless,
Nathan McDonald
Principal
At the Assembly Year 3H performed an energetic dance to the song, ‘Happy’, which was enjoyed by the audience. Thank you
to Miss Hogan and the students for all their hard work.
Congratulations to the students who received merit certificates this week and those who received a birthday certificate.
Well done to the following classes who received a Special Award this week:
The Music ‘Spongebob Ukulele’ was awarded to 2F.
The Library ‘Clever Caterpillar’ was awarded to 2F.
The PE ‘Big Ball’ was awarded to 6L.
The Japanese ‘Hello Kitty’ was awarded to 1T.
The Assembly Class of the Week was awarded to 1S.
Camps are an exciting part of our College’s extra-curricular program. All of our camp dates are confirmed and booked!
Please place the following dates on your calendar. Further details and prices will follow at a later date.
Prep to Year 2 – Friday, May 27. This will be a combined Under Eights and Camp Day with activities at school.
Year 3 – Friday, August 12 – Saturday, August 13. This will be an overnight stay at school.
Year 4 – Thursday, September 1 – Friday, September 2 at Conway Beach Tourist Park.
Year 5 – Wednesday, August 10 – Friday, August 12 at Camp Kanga.
Year 6 – Wednesday, August 17 – Friday, August 19 at Capricorn Caves, Rockhampton.
All Primary students have an opportunity to participate in the Whitsunday Shopping Centre’s Colouring In Competition.
Forms went home this week. Please bring these back into Administration to Mrs Shepherd-Smith by Friday, March 18.
Students in Years 3—6 are invited to participate in a short story competition, as part of the Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival, hosted by Whitsunday Anglican School in Mackay. Students will have brought home an entry form this week
outlining how they can be involved.
Selected students in Years 3-6 were involved in a Day of Excellence last Friday with one of our Secondary Art Teachers, Mrs
Lauren Schroder. It was a great day to enhance their artistic skills!
Miss Melissa Wales,
Acting Head of Primary
SHINE
the LIGHT
Miss van der Westhuizen, Class Teacher
So far 2V have had a great start to Term 1. We have settled
in well with our new learning topics and are using our classroom rules very well during lesson time.
In Mathematics students are thoroughly enjoying the
‘Number of the Day’ activities as well as the ‘Buzz off Hairy
Legs’ game. Students had fun cutting pizza pictures and
learning about fractions.
Science is so exciting this term as we are planning our Toy
Fair for the Prep students in Week 9. Students have been
busy investigating and researching different push and pull
forces, as well as brainstorming different ideas for creating
their own toy designs.
In English, our class has been busy writing Recounts about
different topics. Students look forward to our weekly novel
reading of ‘Naughty Amelia Jane’, and her extraordinary experiences. Our Art activities this term have been linked with
English and Science. Students are creating a toy box with
toys and a family portrait showcasing their artistic skills.
In History, students are very excited about investigating how
technology has changed over time. We have had some very
interesting objects brought into our class that have clearly
shown how much technology has changed. Miss Claudia
brought in her Golliwog to show how toys have changed. Mr
and Mrs Hockley provided us with a beautiful gramophone
and radio from the past, which provided students with first
hand experiences of how these technologies were used. We
are all getting excited about the upcoming excursion to Bowen Summergarden Cinema to learn more about the history
of films.
On Saturday, I was privileged to watch five of our Year 12 students participate in the Lion’s Youth of the Year Program.
The students worked tirelessly over the past 5 weeks to prepare for the day where they were each interviewed, then
presented 2 impromptu speeches and a 5 minute prepared speech. Each of the students gave outstanding prepared
speeches that were appreciated by an enthusiastic audience. As the acting Head of Secondary I am extremely proud of
all the students for their commitment and perseverance. Jarrod Innell received the award for Best Public Speaker on the
day and Noah Hanrahan received the Overall Winner award. Noah will be travelling to Bowen on Sunday to compete in
the next stage of the program. We wish him all the best as he represents our school.
On Tuesday, two of our Secondary staff attended a QCAA conference in Brisbane for beginning teachers. They returned
to school on Wednesday morning enthusiastic and full of ideas to improve their classroom practice. It is wonderful to be
able to provide staff with such brilliant opportunities to grow and develop in their professional skills.
With Week 6 almost over and only three weeks left of term, we are beginning to have a lot of assessments due in the
Secondary School. I would encourage parents to support their students in ensuring they are completing their homework
and assignment work each night, eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of sleep in order to achieve their very best at
school each day. Students are working hard in classes to complete a range of assessment tasks and it is pleasing to see
the standard of work produced.
Having just checked on the progress of student merits, I was pleasantly surprised to find we already have a student who
has received 100 merit points. It is encouraging to see students working hard each day and achieving such positive outcomes. I am expecting several students to be receiving the Principal’s Behaviour award for achieving 100 merit points at
our Week 8 assembly.
Mrs Melissa Hanrahan,
Acting Head of Secondary
Please see below for an exciting opportunities available for Year 11 students interested in further study in the Science field.
Year 11 students invited to apply for the National Youth Science Forum in January 2017
Applications open 1 March 2016 and close 31 May 2016
Do you have students in year 11 studying science subjects who would benefit from attending the 2017 National Youth Science
Forum (NYSF)? Our online system open for Year 11 students who would like to apply for selection for the 12 day intensive residential program in January 2017 held at The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra.
The National Youth Science Forum is a unique program that offers students entering their final year of secondary school the
opportunity to learn about study options in the diverse fields of science, engineering and technology. Students live on campus
as university students, learning about campus life. They also experience real science, visiting scientists at a range of laboratories and workshops and in the field. They talk with researchers, and build life-long professional and personal networks among
their co-participants.
Our goal is for students gain the knowledge, skills and perspectives that enable them to make informed choices about future
study and career options.
During year 12, NYSF students also have the opportunity to participate in further short programs at various locations around
the country, which extends their experience and understanding of science, engineering and technology career opportunities
and adds further perspectives that assist in their successful transition to university.
For more information, see www.nysf.edu.au or speak to Mrs Weijenberg.
Mrs Kathy Weijenberg
Senior Studies Supervisor
Mrs Lauren Schroder, Dance Teacher
During this term in the Dance elective we have been focusing on learning and implementing the 5 Elements of Dance.
The major assessment is based on ‘Dancing through the
decades,’ where students are able to choose a decade
within the 20th Century, study and learn how the different
dances conveyed certain elements of the culture of the
time. For example: how the conservative dancing styles of
the 19th Century evolved because of the changing cultural
dynamics and major events that shaped the 20th Century.
Students will have an opportunity to teach one another
various styles of dance and can learn to appreciate the
differences of dance as an important part of cultural expression.
ACKY WEDNESDAY
Mr Anthony Hoffman, Event Coordinator
Whitsunday Christian College would like to promote strong, healthy relationships been fathers (including male carers/
grandads) and sons (current students) within the school community and give them an opportunity to spend time with each
other. The College will be hosting a series of Father and Son events throughout the year, with the first being held this Saturday,
March 5. The activity will be a game of basketball played here under the College’s Sports Dome. The day will start at 10.00am
and finish with a BBQ lunch provided by the College.
The more time you spend with your children, the more attuned you can be to their emerging abilities, particular talents and
sensibilities. Your time is precious to both you and your child. Your willingness to give your time to them sends a message: You
are important! If you, the person your child respects most in the world, believe they are worthy of your undivided attention,
your child will bask in the sense of his/her own importance.
For catering purposes, please advise Administration if you will be attending, we look forward to seeing you all there!
Mrs Michelle Playford, Banking Coordinator
School Banking is a great way to encourage your child to learn to save. Banking is on each Wednesday. There are some new
and exciting prizes for 2016. Students are reminded to take their deposit books from their school bag as the arrive at their
classroom and place it in the designated spot. Bank books that are brought into school after Wednesday’s collection are unable to be processed.
For every deposit made at school, no matter how big or small, students will receive a cool Dollarmites token. Once students
have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for an exclusive School Banking reward item in recognition of
their continued savings behaviour. If you would like to join up to school banking please see Mrs Playford at Reception.
Miss Laurie Hewitt, Edumate Coordinator
Last year we introduced our new school management system called, “Edumate”. Edumate allows our school to provide access
to parent/carer and student portals. These portals provide users individualised school information in real time (as it is entered
by school staff) to:
 Academic Reports – previously issued school reports
 Awards – a record of any school issued awards
 Discipline – a record of disciplines/detentions/cards that have been issued to your student
 School Calendar – to see upcoming events on a whole school basis
 Student attendance – with the ability for you to verify why your child has been away
 Timetable – a live timetable, that includes classes, excursions or other changes to activities
 Sick bay & Medical Information – your student's visits and any care they have accessed
 Personal Learning Goals— your student’s personal learning goals per semester
You can use Edumate through any online device and on any internet browser, however we do recommend accessing it through
Google Chrome which can be downloaded for free online or through an app store.
Username: your first initial followed by your surname (eg John Smith would be jsmith)
Password: Enter your password (previously emailed)
Website: https://whitsunday.edumate.net.au/ccm/web/app.php/login/
On your first login, you will be prompted to change your password. You will be able to change your password to anything you
like. Please ensure that this is a secure password, that only you know.
If you have any problems with your log in please email laurie.hewitt@whitsunday.qld.edu.au
We would like to remind all users that it is important that you treat your Edumate password like a PIN number, a signature on
an absence or a signature on a permission note. Your login details will allow you to approve these things online. We would also
ask that parents/carers login as yourself. Please do not use your partner's login details.
After you have logged in for the first time and changed your password, please ensure that all information currently in the
school database is correct.
Click on the below link for a tutorial on how to log in and update your details:
http://www.whitsunday.qld.edu.au/for-current-students/parent-and-student-handbook/
The emergency contact details will need to be updated by emailing laurie.hewitt@whitsunday.qld.edu.au
Mrs Jodi Evans, Uniform Shop Manager
Girls
Allowable jewellery for girls is one pair of plain earrings (e.g. sleepers or studs) worn in each ear lobe, a watch. A medicalert neck chain or bracelet may be worn where this is required for a medically approved reason.
Boys
Allowable jewellery for boys is a watch only. A medic-alert neck chain or bracelet may be worn where this is required for
a medically approved reason.
Everyone
Body piercing is not acceptable while attending this college (this includes using plastic plugs or Band-Aids or other bandages to cover piercing).
Body tattoos are not permitted.
Uniform shop is open each Tuesday 8.00am—9.00am and 2.30pm—3.30pm. If you cannot make this time, you can
download a form from our website, complete with your credit card details and your uniform order will be processed and
sent home with your child the same day.
http://www.whitsunday.qld.edu.au/files/forms/2016%20Uniform%20Order%20Form%20CC.pdf
Mrs Maree Foote, Property Manager
Your help is appreciated every school day in keeping the traffic moving, particularly
during the morning drop off time.
To help minimise the congestion in the car park during the mornings we operate a
Drop & Go Zone from 8.00am to 8:30am.
This zone is designed for parents and carers to drop students off and depart the carpark immediately. Drivers must remain in their vehicle. If your children require assistance or you wish to accompany them into the school you will need to park in a
different area or location during this period.
The College now has a school crossing located opposite the main pedestrian access
to the school across Paluma Road, which will assist anyone parking in the Whitsunday Plaza Shopping Centre to safely cross this busy road.
We thank you for your assistance in helping to manage our car park traffic.
Mrs Maree Foote, Tuck Shop Manager
Our Tuck Shop aims to provide healthy meals to our students. We use Queensland Smart Choices as a guideline for all
items stocked in the Tuck Shop.
Our Tuck Shop is run as a service to our students and in order to keep costs down and eliminate wastage, all meal options must be pre-ordered before 9.00am each day. Only snack items and drinks are available to purchase over the
counter at break times. Primary students only receive Tuck Shop items in their big lunch break so please remember to
pack snacks for their morning tea.
2016 Tuck Shop order forms are available on our website.
Please click on the link below to view the ingredients of our new meal options.
http://www.alliedchefs.com.au/#!school--portion-control-/cjkv
Dear Parents,
Our school is participating in Redgum Book Club this term.
Redgum Book Club are an Australian owned children’s book club supporting Australian authors, illustrators and publishers. They offer families, books that are engaging and educational, with a strong Australian content, that aligns with the school
curriculum. Every book order earns resources and books for our school and includes a free gift for your child.
Your child will bring home the Redgum Book Club catalogue this week. The catalogue opens on Monday 8th February and closes on Monday 7th March. Ordered books will be delivered free to the school by Friday 18th March.
Below is a link to the current term 1 catalogue.
http://issuu.com/redgumbookclub/docs/redgum_book_club_term_1_2016_school/1
For more information about the books in the catalogue, go to the Redgum website. You will also find hundreds more great
titles with books starting from $2.00. www.redgumbookclub.com.au.
Redgum are now selling the School Zone products, Australia's best-selling Educational Activity range. All titles in the Hinkler
School Zone range have been fully adapted to Australian school standards.
Newly released books include:

The Bear Who Went Boo from number one bestselling picture book duo, David Walliams and Tony Ross, comes this
bear-illiantly funny adventure.

Clementine Rose and the Special Promise, by Australian author, Jacqueline Harvey.

The Selected Adventures of Bottersnikes and Gumbles – Launching alongside the animation television series on channel 7, a new edition containing selected stories of these favourite Australian characters.

Barney and the Secret of the Whales, written by award winning author Jackie French.

Pathwords Game, winner of the Parent’s Choice Gold Award.
How to place an order:

Order and pay online by credit card or PayPal at www.redgumbookclub.com.au

Email your order with your credit card details to: orders@redgumbookclub.com.au

Call our customer service team on 02 8445 2355 and order over the phone.

Fill out the order form on the back of the catalogue and post it with a cheque.
If you have any questions about Redgum Book Club orders, please contact Lesley at schools@redgumbookclub.com.au
Thank you
Thursday, March 17, 2016
5.00pm—7.30pm
Whitsunday Christian College Hall
Think you have talent?
Can you sing? Dance? Play an instrument?
Have you been taking lessons and want to have a go performing on stage?
Step 1: Get an entry form from school
Step 2: Decide on your/your group’s act (no longer than 5 minutes)
Step 3: Return your entry form by Monday, March 1 4 and start
practicing!
Entry on the night for audience members is a gold coin donation.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
IMPORTANT
Mrs Kylie Shepherd-Smith, Parent Liaison
Our College has a dedicated SMS number 0438 091 439 which is used to notify parents of absences.
If your child is absent from school, please advise the College via SMS prior to 9:00am on the day of absence with your
child’s full name and the reason for their absence.
Where the College has not been notified of an absence, a reminder will be sent to you via SMS at approximately
10:00am. Please reply to this by SMS including your child’s full name and the reason for their absence as these are
computer generated messages and replies are received via email and only include your return message.
Save The Date
March 5
Father & Son Event
March 5
Trivia Night
March 7
Cross Country Carnival
March 9
Primary Assembly Performance—3/4F
March 16
Primary Assembly Performance—4S
March 16
Junior School Day Of Excellence
March 16
Speech Night—Years 7—10
March 17
Lagoon Excursion—Year 6
March 17
Show Us Your Talent
March 18
National Day Against Bullying
March 21
History Excursion—Year 2
March 21
Solar Astronomy Incursion—Year 5
March 22 & 23
Primary Parent/Teacher Meetings
March 23
Easter Celebration Day
March 24
Last Day Term 1
April 11
First Day Term 2
Excel in Truth and Grace
Contact Us
Whitsunday
Christian College
PO Box 967
26 Paluma Road
CANNONVALE 4802
P: 4948 5100
Absentee SMS: 0438 091 439
E: mail@whitsunday.qld.edu.au
W: www.whitsunday.qld.edu.au
www.facebook.com/
WhitsundayCC
NOTICEBOARD
REGISTER ONLINE
Registration closes Friday, March 4.
https://memberdesq.onesporttechnology.com/2929/org