Term Ahead - 29 April 2022

Co-teaching
As a co-teaching school, we continue to build on developing best-practice based on research from the past ten years. As such, the benefits of co-teaching are well-documented and numerous. Co-teaching supports our teachers in the delivery of inclusive and differentiated practices within the classroom; it provides an environment for our teachers to work collaboratively and learn from each other in a manner that is continuous and embedded, and it increases teacher efficacy.

Our teachers work through what is known as the co-teaching cycle in preparing, delivering and reviewing each lesson co-taught. Our staff are allocated a dedicated time to meet to on a weekly basis.

A Classroom Snapshot
A snapshot of a co-teaching classroom has been detailed below to gain a greater understanding of what co-teaching looks like in practice.

The snapshot focuses on a single lesson from a Year 8, Individual and Societies – History class conducted earlier this week, co-taught by Mr Blumbergs and Mr Leong.

Topic:  Turning Points in Australian History

The lesson was an inquiry-based, small group presentation task, honing in on the IB Approaches to Learning Skills of Thinking, Collaboration, Communication and Research.

The content focus:

1. Federation
2. World War 1 (Conscription)
3. Great Depression
4. World War 2 (Kokoda)
5. Korean War
6. Vietnam War

Co-teaching approaches supported the students to work collaboratively in small groups of four to five students. Teachers used a duet and station-based co-teaching approaches, during the lesson. The diagram below represents the learning and presentation experience planned for the co-taught classroom.

At the beginning of the lesson teachers taught as a duet; that is, both teachers shared the instruction of the students, taking turns in leading the discussion, explaining key concepts and outlining expectations. For this task, students examined turning points through different historical conceptual lenses including change, causes, consequences and perspectives.

Teachers then moved to a station-teaching approach with students working in small groups to develop collaboration and presentation skills. Content was divided between the students prior to the delivery.

Finally, students presented their learning to small groups, and received peer and teacher informed feedback based on their research turning point in Australian history.

From a student’s perspective – co-teaching (Year 8)

‘It’s like normal class except there is an extra teacher that is able to help us individually, while the other teacher is teaching.’

‘Both teachers have their own strengths and teaching methods that can complement each other. For example, one teacher can be writing key points up, while the other teacher is speaking about the same.’

“We can learn more from two teachers as we have two sources, we can learn two perspectives.”

“We can work with students from both classes which can help us to meet new people.”

“Two teachers are there to help us and we get to do more group collaboration.”

"Children are our priority; change is the reality; collaboration is the strategy"
- Judith Billings.

Curriculum
The time has finally come for our Year 12 students to begin to finalise their Inner Core. The Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge essay drafts are submitted for feedback this term, marking a significant milestone in the DP journey. CAS interviews will also take place in Week 6 of this term. The purpose of these interviews is to make sure that students are on track to be signed off by the CAS Coordinator at the end of Term 3. This term our Year 12 German ab initio students will write their final IB exams. I am certain that students’ preparation for these exams has been thorough and wish them all the best.

During Week 7 of this term, our Year 10 students will complete the practical component of the Certificate II in Sampling and Measuring and Certificate III in Laboratory Skills and Certificate III in Laboratory Skills. Students have been completing the theory units during Term 1 and 2 and should ensure that they are up to date with each module as communicated by our VET Coordinator, Ms Manwaring. As well as achieving the Certificate III, a recognised qualification, the practical skills gained in this course will complement students’ laboratory work in all the Sciences, which at the heart are experimental in nature.

Spotlight on the IB – Sustainability across the IB Continuum
“The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world” (IBO, 2019). This emphasis on shared guardianship of the planet demonstrates the importance of sustainability within an IB education. Sustainability is also implicit within the IB learner profile, with the qualities of being knowledgeable, caring and principled equipping students with the skills and attributes to be able to take principled action throughout their lives. As well as the learner profile and a focus on international-mindedness, an IB education encompasses a broad, balanced, conceptual and connected curriculum that so that IB students build on their existing knowledge and apply their learning across all subjects. As balanced IB learners, our students and teachers continually recognise the interconnectivity of content, skills and values that is necessary for sustainable action. CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) experiences also provide a direct opportunity for students to engage in sustainable actions to foster their understanding of their role as a global citizen.

Sustainability Week is Week 8 Term 2, which celebrates the actions of our school community towards improved sustainable practices. This week is also an opportunity to raise awareness of how to be more sustainable within and beyond the school community. Students with a particular interest in how they may contribute towards sustainability at the Academy also have the opportunity to join the focused CCA groups: the Plastic Oceans Team or the Environmental and Biodiversity Clubs.

Time Management

• The assessment calendars were published at the end of Week 1. Students should use this document to effectively ensure assessment is completed and submitted on time.
• Use the student diary to write in homework and prioritise assessment tasks. The diary should also be used to record future room changes or excursions.
• Create good habits to start the term; this includes getting quality sleep, doing focused study with no distractions. Please refer to the home learning policy on our website which has some additional advice for time management, study techniques and study spaces.

NAPLAN

• During Week 1 the NAPLAN Readiness training occurred students in Years 7 and 9. The purpose of this training was it allowed both students and staff an opportunity to become familiar with the online user interface and for technical issues to be identified on student laptops.
• If students were absent from this training, I encourage them to visit the NAPLAN Assessment Program website which has a public demonstration site student can visit.
• Students who had technical difficulties during the session are required to see the IT help desk prior to Week 4.
• The four NAPLAN tests will take place from Wednesday 11 May - Monday 16 May.
• All sessions are in lower J block.
• There will be catch up sessions run from Tuesday 17 May - Thursday 19 May.
• Students are encouraged to not put any pressure on themselves and to simply do their best.

Autism Acceptance Month
Happy Autism Acceptance Month! As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, it is timely to remind you about our Autism Hub, which is a great resource for schools and communities.  The Autism Hub has a wealth of information on their website and they work with school leaders, teachers and parents to improve the engagement and education achievement of students with autism in all Queensland schools. We provide information and deliver professional learning that supports educators to include, retain and engage students with autism and empowers parents to partner with schools and teachers in their child's education. For more information please visit the Austism Hub.

Student Leadership
Student Leadership positions across the Academy have grown with the appointment of a number of ambassador roles for our new Year 7 and 10 students. Congratulations to all those that were awarded positions.  Student Leadership is an important part of life at the Academy. Our student leaders are the voice for our student body as part of student agency.  We have leaderships roles representing the Academy, houses, and also in 12 different portfolio areas. These portfolio leaders are responsible for a large proportion of the student led activities on our calendar and the opportunities, activities, and awareness days that take place help to create the wonderful and inclusive vibe around the campus.  Being a student leader also comes with the responsibility of being a role model is all areas of QASMT life.  

The Academy Representative Council (ARC) meets weekly. One weekly meeting includes the portfolio captains and is operational in style, incorporating a learning activity about leadership; during the alternative week meeting, the house and academy captains in both Year 12 and Year 9 meet, with an agenda based on issues around agency. One of the key focuses for the Academy Captains this year is improving the communication channels between the ARC and the rest of the student body. The Captains are learning about the challenges that come with leadership and communication, and are working on a solution-based focus incorporating increased communication feedback loops through the houses, DayMap messaging and student forums.  It is wonderful to see the growth in our student leaders. 
Applications for student leadership positions in 2023 will open at the end of this term.

Our highlight will be Week 3’s Book Week in which there is a variety of activities taking place. As a student-run event, Book Week will see costume parades, celebrations of staff and student reading choices, book recommendations, quote walls, lunchtime story-telling sessions, “fictional character fights”, and “guess the character” quizzes. The energy and excitement that this event generates is always infectious and we look forward to seeing this wonderful celebration of books continue in 2022!

Within the Diploma Preparation Programme, our Year 10s are embarking on a series of tasks that require them to demonstrate autonomy and a high level of engagement with a variety of non-literary persuasive texts. If the first week of this term is any indication, students are rising to the challenge of individually annotating and articulating their complex ideas about texts in their CAR logs.

Likewise, our Year 12 students are working towards developing their Paper 1 skills by using texts that appear to be created primarily to entertain, rather than make social commentary; However, students are going to use these to comment on social stratification, representations of females, symbolic meanings, and explore how different people groups are portrayed. This will be done by using contemporary rap as a starting point and stimulus. Students will look at how contemporary reader theories can help them add depth to their insights about how different audiences are portrayed or appealed to. Once students are comfortable with couching their ideas in rigorous and theory-supported terminology, they will turn their hand to using this language to add depth to the Paper 1 responses. 

One of the anticipated highlights of life outside of the classroom will be Week 8s Festival of Creativity. This is an event that celebrates creative work from across the school and promises to be a wonderful showcase event in which students from across the school demonstrate the products of their creativity. The English staff are working to support this event and are leading CCAs in Creative Writing, The Scene Project, and debating. Additionally, we are launching the Dialogues event in which students have an opportunity to practice their diplomacy and oracy skills. The launch of this event is a meaningful development in the life of QASMT as we look for opportunities for students to develop their ability to deliver robust ideas within the public sphere.

Language Acquisition staff are a driven and committed group of teachers who understand that learning new languages plays an important role in young people’s lives in developing their literacy, communication skills, cultural awareness and understanding of the rapidly changing world within which we live.

Teachers in Language Acquisition

International Mindedness
We were thrilled to celebrate Harmony Week in Week 2. Led by Frau Wilson, Ms Wallace-Cunningham and Ms Davey, students planned and enjoyed a range of activities which encouraged both an international mindedness and greater cultural awareness and appreciation.

Language Acquisition Exams
This term, Year 7 students are preparing for their individual orals in Week 5 and writing exams in Week 8. Our Year 8 students are preparing for their writing exams in Week 6 and their individual orals in Week 9. Our Year 9 students are preparing for their individual orals in Week 5. Our Year 10 students are preparing for their listening exams in Week 6. Our Year 11 students are preparing for their listening exams in Week 5. Our Year 12 students (except German) have their final individual orals in Week 6.

Years 9, 10, 11, and 12 all have block exams this year in Week 10. We wish them all the best in their studies and encourage them to attend subject specific tutorials on offer, and to implement the vast range of useful revision strategies provided to them via our skilled teachers.

Year 12 German have their final IB exams in Week 4 and we wish them “viel gluck” for this!

Music Year 7 
Students are pitching a new musical theatre concept to a panel of producers. Each student will compose a hit musical theatre song demonstrating relevant theory as well as performing solo in front of their peers. Working as a team, groups will develop presentation skills by articulating industry related items such as budget forecasts, marketing outlines and production notes.

Media Arts Year 7 and 8

DESIGN

In Year 8 Design, students will be developing algorithmic thinking skills through problem solving. They will learn how to create flow charts, develop pseudocode before coding their solutions in Python. By developing an application for their peers, students will recognise the importance of human-centred design, as they need to focus on the people they are designing for by determining what their user needs and then finding a solution that is tailored for them.

Disrupting the Market (DTM)
This term in DTM students are forming marketing teams to create promotional merchandise to support a business who is pivoting. Students will use the laser cutter technology and skills to present a cohesive marketing package to ensure the pivoted business reaches their customer base.

YEAR 10 STEM FUTURES COURSES
Living in a Digital Society (LDS) Year 10
Everyday 1.145 Exabytes (1.145 billion Gigabytes) of data is created. This data is shared and consumed the world over but how do we keep this data safe from those who might want to use it maliciously? This is our topic for this term. With help (and a trip) to the University of Queensland's Cybersecurity department, we will be studying the types of threats that exist for modern networks, explore ways to protect our IT resources and examine case studies where the internet we know it has been under threat.

If you are interested in some of the case studies we will cover in class, we recommend the Lazarus Hei$t podcast from the BBC:

“Almost a perfect crime.” The hacking ring and an attempt to steal a billion dollars. Investigators blame North Korea. Pyongyang denies involvement. The story begins in Hollywood.

Computational Thinking
Year 10 students are taking their skills in logical and algorithmic thinking to the next level by producing solutions in one the most used programming languages, JavaScript. In the second half of the term, they will gain understanding of relational databases.

Computer Science (CS)
This term Year 11 students will continue to develop an understanding and skills in computational thinking, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), and computer networking.

How do the resources of a computer affect the development of IT solutions? This is a key question Year 12 Computer Science is exploring this term. Students will also be examining how control systems are utilised in our day-to-day lives and continuing to explore the nature of genetic algorithms. To top off this busy term, students are finalising and implementing their assessment projects with their clients.

Enrichment: CAT Competition
On May 4 we will be running the Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Competition for over 50 students across three divisions. This a one-hour problem-solving competition designed to encourage student curiosity, promote multiple modes of thinking and solve real-world problems. It is suitable for any mathematics class and the process helps students become more confident as they take on interesting new challenges.

We continue to emphasise the following for all students and parents for the term ahead:

1. Effective time management with classwork, homework and assessments
2. Seek clarification and assistance whenever necessary
3. We encourage students to have regular conversations at home about the content that they have covered in class. Individuals and Societies is all about the world around us and events happening in local and international news.

The Individuals and Societies staff look forward to meeting parents at the upcoming parent teacher interviews.

Enrichment opportunity
Is your student the next Young Historian of the year?
The National History Challenge is a research-based competition for Australian students. It gives students a chance to be historians, research world history, examine Australia’s past, investigate their community or explore their own roots. It emphasises and rewards quality research, the use of community resources and effective presentation. The competition theme for 2022 is ‘Causes and Consequences’ and students interested in applying should see Mrs Jasper in the Individuals and Societies staffroom by the end of Week 3 to register and receive an information pack.

Show Me the Money
The UQ Business Faculty will be visiting in Week 3 to present a three-hour workshop on marketing techniques and showcase the technology that is used to gather information from a target market. The theme for the workshop is sustainability. Are you more likely to buy a product/service is you know it is sustainable? Students are continuing to work with UQ ventures on ‘Thinking differently’ and this will cumulate with their assessment with a solution to a breakfast problem.

Business Management
Year 11 students learn how to use a range of business tools, including Gantt charts and decision-making trees, before commencing a unit on Finance. Year 12 students will be working through a case study with a focus on business operations.

Economics
In Year 11 Economics, the role that governments play at a microeconomic level will be studied. We will examine the effects of price controls, taxes and subsidies on various stakeholders. Towards the second half of the term, we will look at the various forms of market failure that occur in an economy and how governments try to rectify these issues.

To compliment the end of term exam, students will be introduced and complete their first IA draft commentary (Microeconomics) as part of their portfolio. As part of their commentary, students will analyse and evaluate a newspaper article that covers a real-life example of a market failure. In the process, students will use one of the nine key concepts in economics as a lens to examine their article.

Year 12 Economics students will focus on the unit on Global Economy. Term content will focus on International Economics which centres on trade, protectionism, exchange rates and economic integration. In terms of assessment, students will be writing their draft and final for the third IA Commentary. We encourage students to do regular revision at home as well as collecting real-life examples for their November exams.

From the ToK Coordinator David King

DP1 TOK
Students this term will be considering one of the themes, Knowledge and Technology. They will have the opportunity to consider how technology impacts on how we produce and share knowledge as well as how knowledge may change because of technology. They will also complete a second practice commentary of 350 words, to prepare them for their final exhibition assessment in Term4.

DP2 TOK
The students are continuing to work on the draft of their final essay of 1600 words which they will submit for feedback later this term. Their essays will be returned to them before the end of this term, as the final submission is in early Term 3.

Year 9 – 12 Physical Science students
Year 9 students from across four Physical Science subjects are in for an exciting term: Biochemical Solutions students are studying biochemistry in Living Chemistry; Fuelling the Planet students are studying calorimetry in Energy in Chemical Reactions; Medical Physics students are studying electromagnetic waves in Radiation Medicine; and World of Reactions students are studying different chemical reactions in Reaction Revolution.

Year 10 students are now entering the second term of their semester courses. Our Year 10 Journey to Earth X students are looking forward to a trip to Dreamworld in the coming weeks to investigate energy and motion, while our Year 10 Future Materials students are about to welcome a visit from another UQ scholar who will speak about biopolymers. After this term, Year 10 students will then enter their Diploma Preparation Programme in either the Standard or Higher Levels (SL or HL), so I encourage all students to ensure they are reflecting on their progress this term as they consider their future subject choices.

This term, both our Year 11 Chemistry and Physics students are embarking on an Internal Assessment (IA). The skills that students learn in writing these assessment tasks are essential for their long-term success in their diploma, and I encourage all students to put time and effort into their assignments. Students will receive feedback in many forms - sometimes written, sometimes verbal - from their teachers on their progress during these tasks; it is essential that students reflect on their own progress against the marking criteria, as well as the many different types of feedback given.

Over the term, our Year 12 Chemistry and Physics students will be further developing their exam skills. Students will focus increasingly on Paper 1 and Paper 2 exam technique, and our expert teachers are ready to guide and support them as they do this. If you have a Year 12 student in your family, be sure to ask them about the differences between Paper 1 and 2, their favourite sub-topics, and where their strengths lay.

Extracurricular Science Updates
This term we have a fantastic offering of extracurricular science activities including several science CCAs: Art in Science, Crystal Growing, Science Communication, Physics Olympiads, Astronomy club, and Astrophysics club. Several students will be attending the Churchie Physics Lecture this term, and we are currently seeking student-teams for the RACI Queensland Schools Titration Competition. If you have a student in your family who is interested in taking part in one of these extracurricular activities, then they should contact the Physical Science teachers who run them. This information is available on the Term 2 CCA list.

Finally, look out for the upcoming STEM Seminar Speakers! After having to reschedule a few of our seminars from last term - this term we have three eminent scientists taking part in the STEM Seminar Series. All QASMT students and staff are welcome and are encouraged to attend one (or all!) of the upcoming exciting seminars. We are extremely lucky to have people who are leaders in their fields coming in to speak to us, and it is a unique opportunity to hear about real-world STEM businesses and research in our very own lecture theatre.

To all our students and families, our team of Physical Science teachers are extremely excited and ready to support you in your academic and extracurricular science endeavours this term. We hope you have a wonderful Term 2.

Curriculum
Year 7 Science
Year 7 students will be learning about Earth and Space and exploring the statement of inquiry:
“Natural and human systems create patterns. The relationship between Earth's natural resources and human society's physical needs functions as a balance between resources that are non-renewable on human timescales while others can be renewed or recycled.”
Through this they will investigating Earth’s natural resources, identifying what these are and how they are used. They will evaluate their own resource use to recognise the environment cost associated with these. Students will explore renewable energy sources. Finally, they will apply their understanding to the ‘Wicked Problem’ of e-Waste and sustainability.
In the second half of the term Year 7 have their interdisciplinary unit on interpreting patterns in data (combined Mathematics). They will explore this through learning about our solar system.

Year 9 Sustainable Futures
Year 9 Sustainable Futures students are exploring Sustainable Development Goal #11 “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. They will be doing this by researching, designing and building one aspect of a sustainable city. Students may look at energy production, or inner-city development, or even educational settings. Through this, students will develop a deeper understanding of the current problems with these city areas and look at current and future solutions to these problems.

Year 10 Medical Biotechnology
The focus of Term 2 for Year 10 Medical Biotechnology students is ‘Disease and Biotechnology’. They will explore The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, to understand the origin and culturing of the HeLa cell line. Through this they will explore the ethical issues associated with biotechnologies which then leads into learning about stem cells and stem cell therapies. They will finish the term learning about the immune system and then apply this knowledge to investigating COVID-19 testing strategies and vaccine development.

Science Enrichment
UQ Women in Engineering
UQ Women in Engineering have two events that QASMT will participate in this term.
On Thursday 5 May, a group of Year 9 students will be attending the UQ Women in Engineering annual explore day. This is an opportunity to experience different engineering disciplines in a fun hands-on way, with workshops like ‘Giving Movement Back,’ where students look at building a prosthetic limb, and ‘Sun Smart Code’ where students will develop a code for a UV detection device. 

Sustainability Week
Sustainability Week is happening in Week 8 of this term. With the theme of “Life on Land” and a focus on the Sustainable Development Goal #15, the Environmental and Biodiversity team and Plastic Oceans team have a lot of great activities planned. These include things like a biodiversity scavenger hunt, jar painting stall and sustainability cahoot. The teams are also bringing back the biodiversity in your backyard photo competition, so students should start taking some awesome pictures of the wildlife around them. Keep a look out for more information in the coming weeks.

In the classrooms……
Year 7 students are part way through a unit titled Number Representations. They are studying the concepts of factors, multiple, primes, fractions and decimals while considering the statement of inquiry “Throughout history, different cultures have used and developed multiple forms of representation for quantities.” The unit will culminate with a knowledge test in Week 6 before beginning the interdisciplinary unit with science.

Congruence, similarity, enlargements and trigonometry are the focus for Year 9 and skills covered in these lessons will allow students to apply this knowledge to a real-life situation in their Criterion C and D project.

In the Diploma Programme, Year 11 students will reflect on how they performed in their first exams before working through their next concepts.

Drop in Maths Help sessions
The well attended “help” sessions will continue to be offered this term. These are targeted at students who simply want to have concepts re-explained or check on how to approach a question. These are drop-in sessions with no expectation to stay for the entire session, or students can come each week. They are held in lower D Block at the following times:
-  Year 7- 10 - Monday after school (3:20-4:00pm) or Wednesday lunch (10:40-11:20am)
-  Year 11-12 - Thursday 11:00-11:40am

Cross Country
The Cross Country Carnival saw students stride their way around the school on a brand-new course, demonstrating team spirit, physical perseverance and an impressive capacity for distance running. Curie House proved tough competition at the first house competition of the year, winning the trophy for overall points and the War Cry Competition after some spirited efforts by the other houses. Special mention goes out to Freya H who orchestrated the new addition of the year level games and exemplified what it means to be a House Captain at QASMT. Well done, Freya! 

PHE and Healthy Futures Curriculum
Our Term 2 PHE curriculum will continue to equip students with the necessary skills to perform in a variety of physical activities, impart knowledge to maintain fitness, as well as developing enthusiastic, innovative learners capable of creating positive and sustainable change.

In Year 7, students will delve into the biomechanical principles that underpin various movement concepts in athletics. As well as learning about the intricacies of athletic events such as running and shotput, they will analyse their own technique, using biomechanical principles. Year 8 students will follow suit, also performing in various throwing, jumping and running events. They will make links between athletics and principles of training, working towards individual goals and implementing personalised training programs. Through these experiences we hope to develop positive habits by promoting knowledge and understanding of health and fitness.

In our new Healthy Futures STEM course, students will explore contemporary issues on adolescent health and develop strategies to promote awareness amongst the QASMT community. Students will also implement and refine leaderships and collaboration skills through officiating, playing in a team and working towards individual and team goals.

Look out for CCA and sport updates via our socials to stay up to date with the amazing experiences our students are engaging in throughout the term through our CCA and sport programs.

Year 11 Leadership Camp
Year 11 Leadership Camp at Mapleton was a great success. Students engaged in all the activities, and it was great to hear Agnesi students laughing and cheering one another on. I think the future of Agnesi House is in capable hands judging by the number of students who have indicated they will be applying for a leadership position. I wish them all the best of luck.

Year 7 Camp
Year 7 Camp at Camp Warrawee provided an opportunity for Year 7 Agnesi students to get to know one another. I hope the connections made through their shared experiences and challenges on camp will allow them to form bonds that will last through to Year 12 and beyond.

Athletics Carinval
Agnesi House put on an impressive performance at the Athletics Carnival winning both House Relay races. We also claimed the Year 9 boys age champion and the Year 10 girls age champion and came third overall. Congratulations to Calvin H and Imogen A and to all the Agnesi House students for their strong sporting prowess.

Sustainability Fashion Parade
Thank you to all Agnesi InStep members and InStep Mentors for putting on such a strong show in the Sustainability Fashion Parade. Each year the competition gets better with InSteps outdoing one another to produce outfits that are both creative and inspiring. INA07 took out the winning look from Agnesi House with a 1960s inspired dress modelled by Eesha R.

House Communications
Term 2 saw the Agnesi Angle newsletter resurrected from lockdown and rebranded as The Fortnight Ahead. The Agnesi Angle allows to us to share house news and provide a timely update on upcoming events and important announcements. I look forward to seeing how it grows.

Positive Education

Year 8 have focused on developing compassion and empathy through the module ‘Walking in Other People’s Shoes.’ This has provided students with an opportunity to discuss how to interact with one another in more meaningful ways and how to follow the QASMT protocols of Showing Respect, Maintaining Safety and Taking Responsibility.
Year 9 Agnesi students continue to prepare for the journey and have been unpacking the concept of the ‘Iceberg’. This involves understanding our perception of what we see above the water is only a fraction of ourselves and that what lies beneath the water holds greater meaning should we take time to explore it.

Week 1
On the first day back, Curie House, under the direction of the House Captains and Ambassadors, quickly worked to organise themselves for the Cross-Country carnival that took place on day two. The Cross Country Carnival was one of the first opportunities for Curie House to demonstrate to the other houses that we mean business and are keen to be lifting the Inter-House Competition trophy again at the end of 2022. Curie did an outstanding job, and it is fair to say that they painted the school pink by winning the War Cry Competition and placing first in the Cross Country Carnival. It was fantastic to see almost the entire house (93%) present and participate on the day. Thank you to both the Year 11 and 12 cohorts who led by example with 100% attendance!

Positive Education Week | Week 5
Positive Education Week, Monday 16 – Friday 20 May, is an annual event that highlights and celebrates Positive Education at QASMT. The week is full of activities in classes including PEP, InStep, and during lunch breaks we will highlight the different components of the PERMA model (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment, and Health). Plus, in addition, we will teach practical strategies and skills that can be implemented into each student’s life to assist them to flourish.

Sustainability Week
QASMT is committed to educating our students and community about our impact on the environment. This year, Sustainability Week is taking place in Week 8 (6 -10 June). The week will start with a whole school assembly and there will be plenty of activities during InStep and lunch breaks for students and staff to get involved in and learn about new ways to act towards making our practices as a school community more sustainable.

Ownership
I encourage Curie students to take ownership of their learning and have confidence in themselves. They should be prepared, on time, in class and at school every day. This is their education and their journey! I wish all our students a wonderful and successful term.

Pink isn’t just a colour, it’s an attitude! Go team Curie!

Inter House Cross Country/Athletics
I am always impressed with a collective community that is able to impact every member. Our students worked hard to create a new, loud, very active war cry. It was an updated and reinvigorated version. Unfortunately, it did not rank as high as we hoped in the scoring system. However, with targeted feedback we are now on our way to showcasing an ever-improved version at our Inter House Athletics Carnival hosted by UQ in Week 6. We are very excited for this event.

Da Vinci students placed 2^nd at Cross Country Carnival. The energy from this amazing result can be felt every day at our locker rooms and when we gather at PEP. We are excited for athletics! Bring it on!

In addition to our major day events, we look forward to competing at the annual Mario Cart, Netball, Mathematics and Sustainable Fashion events.

Positive Education Week
Week 5 celebrates Positive Education Week at the Academy. Students will participate in lunch time activities including the new ARC Carnival Day. This day provides each of our leadership communities to showcase their area of interest and lead students in engaging activities.
In addition, teachers will receive updates on positive education strategies to implement during classes to allow students active brain breaks. InStep and PEP will support our integrated week.
Positive Education classes continue to support our students to flourish and thrive.

InStep
Term 2 InStep has a full calendar of events. Our student leadership team remain focused on leading this calendar while ensuring student agency through the feedback survey. In saying this, Term 2 will also see a full calendar of school wide events. Da Vinci InSteps will participate in the Sustainable Fashion Parade, War Cry, Assembly, Math competitions, and cake decorating. We hope these events continue to build our spirit.

Franklin House have finalised correct uniform which will complement the strong start to the year for behaviour and punctuality. Students must maintain these positives and build on new ones such as flourishing. We want students to thrive and flourish in their studies, as well as social and emotional wellbeing.
We have also returned from Easter break with new Year 7 and 10 leaders. It will be great to put their eagerness, positivity and latest ideas to effective use. Our house noticeboard will be maintained with information, and we will begin work with our house charity, RSPCA as well.

Key Dates for Term 1

• 26-29 April      Harmony Week
• 03-06 May       Book Week
• 11 May             Parent Teacher Interviews
• 16-20 May        Positive Education Week
• 27 May              Athletics Carnival
• 01-03 June        Year 11 Camp
• 06-10 June        Sustainability Week
• 10 June              Festival of Creativity
• 20-22 June         Year 7 Camp

“…to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”
– Alfred Tennyson

New House Ambassadors!
In Term 2 Hawking House welcomes two new Year 7 House Ambassadors to the leadership group. Congratulations to Abby and Ethan! Their applications were outstanding and really exemplified what it means to be a Hawking student. I am looking forward to working with both Abby and Ethan, as well as all the other leaders this term and throughout the remainder of 2022.

Events for Term 2
There are several Hawking House events that you can get involved in during Term 2! Many of these are whole house events and others are specific to particular year levels. These house events include:

• Academy Dance (Week 5) – The Middle Years Academy Dance is on Friday 20 May 3:00-6:30pm. Tickets are $10 (cash only) and can be purchased from outside the refectory. The price includes pizza and drink upon entry.
• Athletics Carnival (Week 6) – The athletics carnival will take place Friday 27 May. I am looking forward seeing the house spirit and athletic talents of students in Hawking House (and winning the War Cry Competition!)
• House Charity (Week 7) – In Week 7 will have our house charity event with ‘Eat Up’, where our Year 9 and 12 students will have the opportunity to make sandwiches for students who cannot afford lunch around Brisbane. I will be able to confirm more information about this in the coming weeks.
• Year 11 Camp (Week 7) – Year 11 Camp is held at Mapleton (Wednesday 1 June to Friday 3 June) and is sure to be an amazing adventure. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to come together as a year level and forge lasting bonds for your senior years and beyond.
• Sustainability Fashion Show (Week 8) – All students will compete in their InStep classes to create sustainable fashion. I am looking forward to seeing the designs they produce and skills on the runway! Preparation will begin from Week 7.
• Year 7 Camp (Week 10) – Year 7 Camp is at YMCA Warrawee in Petrie (Monday 20 June to Wednesday 22 June) and will be an amazing way to conclude the term. I challenge all Hawking students to make memories and friendships that are everlasting.
• Hawking Olympics (ongoing) – The Hawking Olympics will continue this term with several fun competitions. Stay posted as we finalise the events for this term! 

NAPLAN -Years 7 and & 9 Only
NAPLAN testing is occurring for our Year 7 and 9 students on Thursday and Friday of Week 4, and again on Monday and Tuesday of Week 5. Students have already completed test readiness sessions and should be ready to go. It is imperative students are prepared for these online tests by ensuring they:

• have a fully charged computer and set of plug-in headphones on the day of the test
• have downloaded the NAPLAN Browser
• have access to a computer mouse, if desired (optional)

Further correspondence will come out regarding NAPLAN.

Cross Country
Our annual Cross Country Carnival, where houses compete against each other, was held on Wednesday April 20. Hollows House did not get off to the best of starts finishing in 8^th place for the war cry performances, but the mighty Hollows Hawks let their running do the talking and with great individual performances and some age champion results, we finished 5^th overall.

Congratulations to our podium finishers, Oliver A, first place in Year 7. Fred R-J, second place in Year 10 and Heather D, 3^rd place in Year 8. Honourable mention also must go to the Year 12 Hollows boys tug of war team who dominated in the game events between races. Our mighty Hawks have a bit of work to do now as we gear up for our Week 6 Athletics Carnival where once again our resolve will be tested against the athletes of the other houses. 

Harmony
In my observations, the successful archer seems at one, simultaneously, with themselves, their environment and the present situation – they are in a state of harmony. Their breathing is measured, they are focussed, and their movements are both intentional and entirely optimal to the goal. They are not removed from internal and external conflicts but are well practiced at managing them.

As students, we should strive for harmony… and remember that it takes practice. With a clear understanding of our goal, we can help ensure that our decisions are intentional. With deliberate practice and engagement with feedback we can optimise our actions and strive for balance while continually improving. 

We are truly successful together
I would argue that we can achieve harmony as described above, but for even greater success we should begin to work as part of a greater harmony with those around us. I think of this as the supportive ‘community’ I have described in previous Newsletters. This term I would encourage students to focus on harmony both on an individual scale but also as it relates to our house community. Students can use the following upcoming events to help monitor their progress:

New House leaders

Positive Education and PLP reflection
I hope you all had the opportunity to discuss your child's PLP goals for the Semester and the interim report for our Year 7 parents/caregivers. Taking an interest and discussing strengths and areas for improvement allow students to set future goals and reflect on their performance to keep improving. Over this fortnight, students will receive feedback on their Term 1 achievements from their subject teachers and write their PLP reflections.
In my Positive Education lessons with each of my classes, I discuss the importance of 'grit' if students are to reach their potential. Through her research work, Angela Duckworth has shown that having grit is a more significant predictor of success than talent or intelligence. However, being gritty is hard work, and if we're trying to achieve meaningful goals, we're going to face challenges. Therefore, one way to gain greater success is to stick with it, show some grit and embrace obstacles and challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. 

House Captains report

Harmony Week commenced in Week 2, and there were several performances and activities to celebrate our Academy's cultural diversity during the week. It is about inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone. It was a spectacle to witness as we had several cultures entwined within our House and the Academy as a whole. We also have the Book Week Costume Parade to look forward to in Week 3.

Following all these exciting events, it will be time to focus on our next house events, the Athletics Carnival and the Sustainable Fashion Parade. With the ongoing commitment and dedication from all Newton staff and students, we hope to be in an incredibly competitive position and finish much better than last year. A busy term but also an exciting one ahead. Thank you and GO NEWTON! 

I want to take this opportunity to farewell two of our Newton staff members, Cecilia C and Reina M. I would like to thank them for their dedicated house spirit and enthusiastic contributions, particularly to their InStep, INN04 and INN08. On behalf of Newton house, I wish them the very best in their new endeavours.

• Our year 12 students have commenced their individual pathways interviews. Each student is required to complete their Pathways Interview form before meeting with the Guidance Officer to discuss their plans and identify what support is available to assist with the next stage of their career journey. Students must visit A block to arrange their interview time.
• All year 11 students have just attended the University of Queensland for their Career Pulse event on Thursday, 21 April 2022. Students chose from many diverse subjects ranging from “The future of health care delivery” to “Food for a healthy planet,” and from “Purr-fect science careers working with animals” to “Designing and building iconic structures,” to name a few. It is a great privilege that all QASMT students attend this event that is only offered to select students from other schools.
• Year 10 new students should all have completed their Senior Education and Training (SET) plan interviews at the end of last term. Remember that SET plans are dynamic documents and should be updated as information is gained, and plans change.
• During their Positive Education Program, our Middle Years students are continuing to grow their understanding of themselves as individuals and society around them, developing their sense of who they are and how that might impact their life decisions, including career choices. The Year 9 students will begin to make their career exploration more explicit this term as they begin to collate a personal career profile.
• Lunchbox information sessions are being scheduled in conjunction with the University of Queensland. These are voluntary sessions open to all students on various themes related to career planning. As sessions are arranged, the details will be emailed to students.

Be sure to peruse the Options Career Bulletin for other career planning opportunities and information. Use the Options Career Information app available through the Apple store and Google Play: access code “QASMT.”

Wellbeing Seminar Series
To further support the wellbeing and brain health of our students and community, we will be running a Wellbeing Seminar Series throughout Term 2. These sessions will include three sessions for students and one family and community session. All of these sessions will run as face-to-face events in the Academy Lecture Theatre.

Headspace provide young people with access to health advice, education and employment. Their vision is to improve young people's mental, social and emotional wellbeing. Their student workshops aim to increase mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and build the capacity of young people to understand their own wellbeing needs, support their peers and explore pathways for help-seeking. Workshops are interactive, strength-based and evidence-informed. For further information Headspace visit: https://headspace.org.au/
Headspace will be presenting the following sessions. Keep a look out for information relating to registering for these events.

• Understanding mental health and well-being in your people
• Notice changes when a young person might be going through a tough time
• Identify strategies to connect and communicate with young people
• Increase knowledge about how to support a young person and where to access professional support.

I look forward to meeting you and your children at these events.

Eight ensembles from QASMT are participating in the Creative Generation Fanfare 2022 State School Festival of Bands and Orchestras, on Wednesday 8 June at Kenmore at various times throughout the day. The emphasis for Fanfare is on improving the quality of ensembles, promoting the highest possible standard of performance, striving for excellence and encouraging participation. We wish our conductors and musicians well as they rehearse, practice and prepare for this wonderful opportunity.

On Saturday 7 May, our QSO Compose students will spend a day in the QSO studio at Southbank with musicians from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, as they workshop their original creative ideas in compositions along with students from three other schools in Queensland. This will result in a public performance mid-July at the studio.

This term, we welcome a new strings teacher, Mrs Sullivan, who will join us on Mondays from Week 4. Mrs Sullivan will conduct Allegro Strings and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge of orchestral and chamber music, as well as specialist instrumental music pedagogy.

Many of our Instrumental and Vocal students will be participating in the Festival of Creativity on Friday 10 June. This will be an exciting celebration of the Arts from across our school community, incorporating a breadth of disciplines including Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Drama, Spoken Word, Literature and Creative Writing.

The School Marketing Team regularly posts to our social media networks. Keep up-to-date with all the happenings and achievements at QASMT by following:

• Instagram: @queenslandacademysmt
• Facebook: Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology
• LinkedIn: Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology (SMT).

The School Marketing Team can be contacted via email communications@qasmt.eq.edu.au.

School Marketing Team -  Chelsea Hardman-Denning and Samantha Haggarty

Campus Tours
We are pleased to offer Term 2 guided campus tours for families who have students currently in Year 5 the opportunity for a guided tour of our campus. This tour is for students seeking to start at QASMT in Year 7, 2024 and Year 10, 2023.

To reserve your place on a tour, please visit the link below:

Campus Tours - Term 2 

We will be re-launching our P&C Building Fund to fundraise through tax deductible donations towards upgrade of our sports and wellbeing facilities on the oval. The Building Fund subcommittee is now looking for three volunteers who have a background in either Marketing, Legal or Accounting. Please contact us should you wish to join

Our P&C is also seeking expression of interest for volunteers to coordinate activities for Communication, Events and Fundraising. It would be great to have our parents come forward to assist. Additionally, there will be several opportunities this term with the Music Concert and the Festival of Creativity for the P&C community to support event planning and fundraising. 

Our next P&C Meeting is on 16 May 2022 at 6.00pm.
This meeting incorporates the Annual General meeting as well as the General meeting.
If you are not a member already, please email qasmtpandc@gmail.com for a membership form.
We look forward to seeing you there.

QASMT P&C FUNDRAISING

The QASMT P&C would like to thank the sponsors below,
who pay to advertise their services at the back of our newsletters.
All advertising queries should be directed to the P&C via email (qasmtpandc@gmail.com).