2019 March 14th schools

AROUND THE SCHOOLS

International Women’s Day was celebrated in style at Tully High School last Friday March 8.

FEMALE students attended a Girls’ Bazaar, where the main attraction was the ‘buy/swap/ sell’ event. Many clothes and accessories were donated by women on staff, supplemented by items from the girls’ own wardrobes, all available to swap or buy for $1.00. This was a great chance for them to refresh their supply of outfits at a bargain price.

There were also various ‘beauty spots’ within the Bazaar, where teachers and talented students offered their pampering services; the girls could choose to have their nails painted, their hair braided, or their hands treated with a spe-

cial scrub and massage. Jaimie Grey, a year 12 student, introduced her clients to an array of her specially prepared facial masks that she has created for a range of skin conditions.

In previous years, International Women’s Day at Tully High School has been marked by an address to the girls by a guest speaker, including a Young Australian of the Year and a Miss World Australia, followed by a morning tea, often prepared by the boys of the Hospitality class. Last Friday many boys demonstrated their solidarity by sporting purple and green in their hair.

This year’s event empha-

Lower Tully State School Preps for 2019

sised girls’ sense of well-being and self-confidence and the strength to be drawn from supporting each other.

After school, many women on staff took up the offer of a relaxing cup of tea with homemade pikelets, followed by neck and shoulder massage provided by the team from Julie’s Beauty Spot.

While International Women’s Day highlights the inequities still faced by women around the world today, girls at Tully High flourish in an environment of equal opportunity and empowerment.

Lower Tully 2019 PrepsIMG. Evie, Malaya, Declan, Brock, Cecilia and Anastasiah.

Tully State High School students enjoying getting their nails painted for international women’s day.

Tully State High School students enjoying getting creative and having their nails painted for international women’s day.

An Invitation

All Year 10/11 parents / caregivers and other interested community members are warmly invited to QCE (Queensland Certificate of Education) Information Evening

Tully State High School Room – AP04 Wednesday 20 March 2019 – 5.30 pm refreshments and 5.45 pm Presentation

Topics will include: QCE requirements

ATAR requirements Academic integrity

Assessment – reasonable adjustments process

PH: 4068 4555 • EMAIL: info@tullyshs.eq.edu.au Page 18 Cassowary Coast Independent News, Thursday, March 14, 2018

AROUND THE SCHOOLS

Goondi State School Preps and induction of school leaders

MARIA GIRGENTI

GOONDI State School have 342 students enrolled in Prep to Year 6 and welcomed 41 Prep students, a new teacher in Prep, two Year 5 teachers, Principal Peter Begemann and Acting Deputy Principal Khadeeja Mohammed.

The school welcomes new Prep teacher Tessa McSwan who has previously taught Years 1 and 2 at Innisfail East State School, Alex Wilson from Victoria is the new Year 5 teacher and Rebecca Charge has returned to teach Year 5s.

Mr Begemann has had 15 years teaching experience for Education Queensland having worked in a number of positions at schools in Far North Queensland. He has been year level coordinator, small schools Principal, Deputy Principal at Bellenden Ker and Hambledon State Schools prior to taking up the Principal role at Goondi State School.

Mr Begemann said it had been a really smooth start to the school year with great enthusiasm and behaviour being

displayed by students. He was pleased to report both new and old students had settled well into classroom routines.

Every day students always strive to uphold the motto of ‘Dare To Do Well’ along with the Goondi 5 values of being safe, showing respect, working hard and participating, getting organised and bouncing back.

The school is at the start of the new four year Strategic Plan and this year will focus on processes of extension of higher achieving students, enhancing communication and engagement with the school community, as well as looking at new ways to recognise diverse cultures that make up the school community.

“As in past years, the focus will be on refining the teaching practices that have proved to be successful. Explicit Instruction and Warm-Ups along with Direct Instruction will feature daily in each classroom. Literacy and Numeracy programs and approaches will be refined, enhanced and consistently implemented across the school.

“It has been about respecting

high standards and processes which make it such a successful school, value-adding and looking ahead to the future. Of course attendance will always be crucial to student success and with the support of parents and carers we aim to achieve our target of 95%.”

“We are also wanting to start developing better quality links with the school community and plan on hosting informal morning teas for parents and carers once a term with the first one held on February 14,” said Mr Begemann.

Student leaders were recently inducted at the investiture assembly where they were presented with their badges by past school captains who are current senior students at Innisfail State College and read the Pledge in front of the school community.

Upcoming events this term include National Day of Action Against Bullying on March 15; school photos on March 21; Parent/Teacher interviews on April 2 and inter-house cross country.

Good Counsel College embarks on innovative new recycling program MARIA GIRGENTI

GOOD Counsel College has recently embarked on a new recycling program which will see recycling measures implemented throughout all areas of the school.

Year 12 students Lachlyn Ferguson and Rizzelin Tumaca came up with the recycling idea after discussions over the Christmas holidays, when they became aware of the new promotion of Containers for Change scheme and thought it would be a great way for the College to raise funds through recycling of bottles.

The initiative was recently launched when 300 students were part of an emu parade en route to Innisfail town pool for their annual swimming carnival.

Students took four different routes through Innisfail and scoured the streets, gutters, car parks and gardens where they ended up collecting around 20 bags full of rubbish and this activity was tied in with Clean Up Australia Day. Principal Cathy Barrett said as a Catholic school, stewardship of the environment is one of the key social teachings which ties in nicely being a Reef Guardian School which focuses on protecting the environment, as well as Catholic Faith In Action, the new Year 11 religious program.

The emu parade is a just one

example of how students are giving back to the community in way of service in the future.

Last year, the College started reducing air conditioning use in Terms 2 and 3 which resulted in a huge decrease in electricity costs and saved literally tens of thousands of dollars. This will be done again this year with a focus on being more energy conscious, as well as reducing carbon emissions in the environment.

Lachlyn Ferguson, who is the face of recycling at the College said the vision of the program was to eliminate plastics throughout the school which will be guided by research conducted by students.

Some of the proposed changes include removal of plastic bin liners with those that are biodegradable, replacing plastic straws with bamboo or wax, replacing plastic cutlery in tuckshop and hospitality department with biodegradable materials, as well as using food scraps to compost for mulch and worm farms.

A sample kit of recycle containers to replace plastic containers has been ordered through Biopak and the College has also contacted Cassowary Coast Regional Council who will be supplying free composting bins.

Four recycle bins in sports house colours have been ordered for the school to encourage everyone to be more

eco-friendly and students will be collecting refundable containers in bags supplied by MAMS. Students will be given points as they collect 10 cent bottles in their respective house colour bins which will be counted and the house with the most bottles will gain extra points.

Posters will also be put up next to the bins to make students aware of items that can be recycled and those that aren’t.

In keeping with the fierce competition of the Spirit Cup, points will be awarded to the sports house who have collected the most recyclables. This gives the non-sporty students the opportunity to contribute and maintain team pride.

All funds raised through the Cash for Cans recycle scheme will go back to Student Representative Council which will be donated to environmental charities such as Reef Guardianship and turtle rehabilitation.

A poster competition is being run across the school to promote recycling based on the slogan ‘Recycling It Just Makes Cents’ with some creative entries already received. All posters will be displayed in the library and students will vote on the winners in two weeks’ time.

The program will be driven by students under the leadership of Hayley Leonardi, Good Counsel College Pastoral Middle Leader in collaboration with Liz Clark, Business Manager.

Goondi State School Prep B students with teacher Tessa McSwan.

Goondi State School Prep A students with teacher Sue Jenkins.

Principal Peter Begemann and Acting Deputy Principal Khadeeja Mohammed with Goondi State School student leaders: Charlene, Talah, Kyla, Gian (captain), Lily (captain), Cameron, Riley and Ryan.

Good Counsel College recently launched a new and exciting recycling program with students taking part in an emu parade where they walked the streets of Innisfail and collected 20 bags of rubbish on the way to the town pool for the College’s inter-house swimming carnival.

Cassowary Coast Independent News, Thursday, March 14, 2018 Page 19