Issue No : 08 Date : 26th May 2017

we strive for the best

ADDRESS

Valley Street

PO Box 8333

MT PLEASANT QLD 4740

PHONE 07 4963 1666

STUDENT ABSENCES 07 4963 1660

FAX 07 4963 1600

EMAIL

principal@macknortshs.eq.edu.au

WEBSITE

www.macknortshs.eq.edu.au

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Despite the weather causing us a few issues last week, MAYFAIR is finally here! Thank you to our P&C, parents, staff and students for the enormous amount of work you have put into making this event a success. The Art Union itself has raised a significant amount of money for our school. I hope you all enjoy the evening! The Stand Out group helped to brighten our school last week with a very colourful diversity rainbow. The rainbow is located under 300 block and is displays messages from our students to promote the concept of combating bullying with positivity. Last Wednesday afternoon we held our first school tour for the year. Prospective Year 7 students for 2018 and their parents watched a presentation before taking a guided tour around the school. On their return, students and parents had the opportunity to sit down for an informal interview with a junior secondary staff member to discuss their students’ needs for 2018. There are another five school tours are planned throughout the year and our 2018 enrolments are now open. The next school tour is on Wednesday 14th June. On Friday the senior schooling leadership team attended a Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) forum on the new tertiary assessment and admission system which will affect Year 11 students in 2019. You can keep up to date with the developments of the system via the website: https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/senior/new-snr-assessment-te Thank you to families who provided us with feedback via the parent communication survey. We have carefully considered your feedback and as a result some changes have been made. Teachers will now be able to write their own comments on student report cards to give you specific and personalised information about your student when possible. Email and SMS were the preferred methods of communication, however parents also valued the newsletter, QParents and the school website. QParents also allows parents to make payments and view report cards, timetable and attendance rates. If you wish to sign up to QParents or require more information, please contact the school.

Thank you to Headspace Mackay who held a sausage sizzle on our junior secondary deck on Wednesday for our Year 7 students. The Headspace website has some great resources and information for parents, students and schools: https://www.headspace.org.au/

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NEXT SCHOOL TOUR FOR THE YEAR 7 INTAKE 2018

Wednesday June 14th 4:30pm—5:30pm

Meet on the Junior Secondary deck.

2017 Monster Auction List – May Fair

Card facilities available

Gallipoli Tour Email

It is wonderful to receive such positive feedback.

Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I visited the Adelaide Cemetery near Villers Brittenaux in France

yesterday and saw a lovely message left by students from your school in Sept/Oct 2016. I thought the students who left it

there would like to know that their message is still there being read by lots of people every day. Well

done to your school. Kind Regards, Angela White

Good Luck

Mackay North High Cheer

Squad

This Saturday and Sunday is the Aussie Gold

Tropical Cheer and Dance Championships is

happening at the basketball stadium.

The Mackay North High School Cheer Squad

will be competing on both days.

On Saturday they will be competing their

Cheer routine at 2:15pm

On Sunday they will be competing their Con-

temporary routine at 11:25am and their Pom

routine at 12:45pm

Come along and support their

hard work and dedication.

REMINDER

All students have to go through the

Senior hub, Junior hub or front office

if they need to contact their parents

during the school day.

PERFORMING ARTS NEWS TWILIGHT CONCERT June 6th 7.00pm

One of the highlights of the school cultural program is the annual Twilight Concert. This will be held on Tuesday

evening, June 6, starting at 7.00pm. It showcases the wonderful achievements of the instrumental and vocal students during first

semester. All of the instrumental ensembles will be performing along with the vocal group which did such a fantastic job in the KMEIA

Choral Festival in late March. This is a mandatory playout for all members of our instrumental

program and all students will need full cultural uniform. Entry is only $5.00 at the door. Please do come along and support our very

talented students. STATE HONOURS ENSEMBLE PROGRAM

August 25th – 27th It was extremely pleasing to see the number of Year 7 – 9

instrumental students who nominated for this prestigious program. In total, thirty-eight of our students nominated and we are very hopeful

that all of our students will be offered places. The manager of the program has contacted the school this week to let us know that offers

will be coming to students via their home email address in the very near future. There are a number of rounds of offers, so students have many chances to be accepted. Don’t panic if you aren’t selected in the

first round! Best of luck to all of our nominated students. “WICKED” PRODUCTION

A big congratulations to all of our students and staff who performed in the recent Mackay Musical Comedy Players’ production of the hit

musical, Wicked. It was extremely professional and a great credit to everyone involved. It was great to see the large number of our students who supported the production and attended either the

student preview or the afternoon/evening performances. MAYFAIR PERFORMANCES

Many thanks to all the students in our Junior Secondary Concert Band and stage band who

performed at our fair. It was unfortunate that the fair had to be postponed due to the inclement weather

and we really appreciate the wonderful support shown by parents in rearranging their commitments

to ensure their student was able to perform. Kathy GEORGE HOD Performing Arts

Photo by Keeara and Reece Photography

In the recent Queensland 18yrs Girls Basketball trials, Year 11 student Courtney

Virgo was selected in the Queensland team to attend the Australian

championships in August.

Congratulations to you on achieving this honour! We all look forward to hearing

of your success at the nationals and wish you all the best of luck in all of your

basket balling

endeavours!

Also, another Year 11 student, Denesha Bobongie was selected as a shadow

player for this team. Congratulations to you Denesha on your achievements

Courtney Virgo Denesha Bobongie

NAME SPORT

India MacPhee 15yrs Girls Rugby League

Jasmine Peters 15yrs Girls Rugby League

Jordan Peterson 15yrs Girls Basketball

Callum Rebetzke 15yrs Boys Basketball

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to represent Mackay

at their upcoming Capricornia trials:

We all wish you the best of luck at these trials!

From the Business Services Manager

This week statements are being prepared to be sent out for fees outstanding longer than 90 days. Please pay these fees upon receipt of the statement or call the school office to make arrangements for a payment plan.

Please be aware that non-payment of fees may exclude students from any school activity or purchase not associated with academic assessment including (for example, but not limited to) excursions, camps, sports representations, ID cards and prom tickets.

ART WORK OF THE WEEK

Year 12 Khang Trinh

“I will destroy everything in the world.. Starting with you”

DON’T FORGET!

PINK DAY FRIDAY 2ND JUNE!

FREE DRESS, SHAVE FOR A CURE, HAIR COLOURING

TWILIGHT CONCERT 2017

Tuesday 6th June 7:00pm

Senior Concert band

Junior secondary band

String Orchestra

Stage Band

Vikoria Boulton

Drumline Ensemble

Crescendo

GRIP NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CAMP 2017

Would you like to develop valuable leadership skills whilst having enormous fun during the

July school holidays? Students in Yr 10-12 are invited to participate in a national leadership

camp being held in Brisbane, hosted by the GRIP Leadership team. Teenagers from around

Australia will be gathering for this 4-day camp from July 3-6. GRIP Leadership is well known

for organising Australia's largest student leadership events and helping students reach their

potential as a leader. Full details available at www.gripleadership.com.au/camp

Wednesday, May 17, was the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

Our school Stand Out group put together activities that some classes did in SDP/ADP on

Wednesday morning to acknowledge this day and make a difference to the concerning statistics around the wellbeing of LGBTI+ young people. The activities included watching a video made

by Stand Out students and writing positive messages/drawing on colourful squares of

paper that we assembled in a rainbow pattern on the noticeboard under 300 block.

Year 7 HeadSpace Barbeque Held to Raise Awareness of Mental Health

In order to raise awareness of mental health and of the services available in Mackay for

those suffering from mental illness HeadSpace attended North on Thursday 25th May, 2017

to hold a barbeque for Year 7 students. As students ate their sausage sandwiches

HeadSpace staff spoke with them about the importance of seeking help if they were

experiencing feelings of depression or anxiety. The barbeque was strongly supported by

Principal Jane Grieger, Deputy Principal Lisa Veney and Guidance Officer Karen O’Keefe, all

of whom enjoyed the opportunity to mingle with students and HeadSpace staff.

Year 7 ‘Tag You’re It’ Presentation

Gold Coast Radio Presenter and ‘Tag You’re It’ Charity Founder Az Hamilton attended North on Wednesday

24th May, 2017 and gave a deep, meaningful, yet at times hilarious presentation to Year 7 students.

Hamilton, who is known for his charity work and amazing ability to connect with kids, spoke at length about

the importance of doing good for others, not in the hope of receiving something in return, but purely to

make the world a better place. He referred to this as the ‘Pay It Forward’ concept. Students listened

attentively to the presentation, and many received ‘Pay It Forward’ wrist bands to wear themselves

initially, and pass on to someone towards whom they commit a random act of kindness. The aim of this is

to start a chain reaction of kind deeds,

beginning at North!

National Simultaneous Storytime

On Wednesday at 11 am thousands of classes around Australia stopped work to listen to the story ‘The Cow tripped over the moon’, by Tony Wilson. Some of our year 7 English classes (and one Year 8 class) and their teachers participated in what we hope will be an annual event.

Caitlin Wilson reading to her year 7N3