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Term Ahead - 28 April 2023

From the Senior Leadership Team

On behalf of the Academy, we extend a warm welcome to Term 2.
As always, we are striving to meet the needs of our community and ensure the education provided at QASMT is truly world-class. We are pleased to inform our community that we will add Chinese to our language acquisition offerings from 2024. Chinese will initially be offered as a new subject at Year 7 and Year 10 in 2024. Our current middle years students will have the opportunity to choose Chinese Language B for their Diploma studies through the Year 10 subject selection process. If families require further information, please contact Associate Principal Academic, Tanya Haggarty.

International Science Schools Network (ISSN)
As a focus this term, we would like to share with you some insights into our ISSN activities. The purpose of the network is to collaboratively lead an influential body of schools to promote leading-edge science education on a global scale. QASMT is one of only three schools in Australia to benefit from being a member of this network and one of 30 internationally.

International Science Fair 2023 (ISSF 2023)
QASMT is honoured to be hosting the upcoming International Science Schools Fair (ISSF 2023) during Term 4, from 5 – 9 December 2023. ISSF is the major annual world event promoted by the International Science Schools Network.

It is a five-day program of activities to bring together students, educators and educational leaders from around the world for collaboration around science education. The key focus on highlighting student research and the provision of opportunities for students in Years 10 – 12 is to be engaged in authentic scientific activities with like-minded peers on a global scale. It is a fantastic opportunity for budding young scientists to display their enquiry skills and defend their findings in a non-competitive environment. A significant component of ISSF 2023 is the cultural and social interactions, and the potential establishment of international networks and lifelong friendships amongst participants.

We are delighted to be working with our major event sponsor, The University of Queensland, to organise an exciting and fast-paced program of educational, cultural and social events for our attendees.

To date, 30 schools from 19 different countries are officially registered, and staff and students at QASMT are collaborating on the organisation of an interactive and event-filled week, full of new and engaging activities and learning experiences! Brisbane’s Lord Mayor has even extended an invitation to host a civic reception for us at City Hall! We will keep you informed of updates as the year progresses.

Science Schools Fair Program
As a member school of the International Science Schools Network, our school is invited to send students to present their research projects at a range of national and international science fairs. It is both an honour and responsibility for our students to connect and network with students from other ISSN partnership schools around the world and we encourage our high-achieving students to avail themselves of this opportunity.

In Year 10, students are invited to undertake a research project under the supervision of a teacher mentor. This is a rich and challenging long-term research experience, and is in addition to a student’s school program of learning.
Initially, students are invited to submit an expression of interest as fairs become available. It is a competitive process that involves assessing the merit of all applications by the selection committee. Students in Year 11 are given the first preference to attend science fairs. In cases where Year 11 students are unable to attend science fairs, Year 10 students may be selected.

The International Science Schools Fairs schedule of events is ongoing throughout the year. In addition, students have the chance to submit their work to one of a large range of state and national competitions to have their research project work judged for awards and prizes.

Science Schools Fairs in 2023 include:

Korean Science Academy Science Fair (KSASF) Korea Science Academy of KAIST, Busan, Republic of Korea
International Science Fair Hosted by the Australian Science and Mathematics School (ASMS) Adelaide, South Australia
Singapore International STEM Innovation Challenge (SISTEMIC) Hosted by National Junior College (NJC), Singapore
Japan Super Science Fair Hosted by Ritsumeikan High School, Kyoto, Japan
Australian Science Fair Hosted by John Monash Science School, Melbourne, Victoria
KVIS Invitational Science Fair Hosted by Kamnoetvidya Science Academy (KVIS) Pa Yup Nai, Thailand
International Science Schools Fair 2023 Hosted by Queensland Academy of Science Mathematics and Technology (QASMT)

We recognise that being a member of the ISSN enables access to a broad range of unique and highly valuable opportunities that are of significant benefit to our students and school staff. It is a privilege to be able to join with the world’s leading science schools to share and develop ideas with a focus on the combined sharing and development of teaching and learning in science education.

Kath Kayrooz, Principal; Tanya Haggarty, Associate Principal Academic; Kerry Bullock, Associate Principal Teaching and Learning; Catherine de Freitas Pessoa, Deputy Principal Performance; Michele Newman, Deputy Principal Engagement and Sandy Davey, ISSF Program Manager

From the Deputy Principal Senior Years

Welcome back to Term 2 to all of our families and students, I hope you have had a restful break and are ready for another term of learning.
This term I am looking forward to supporting our Year 10, 11 and 12 students as the Deputy for Senior Years and IB Coordinator.

Year 12 Curriculum
As our Year 12 students work their way through their final internal assessments and orals in their different subjects, they are now also beginning to finalise their Inner Core subjects. Drafts for both their Extended Essay (EE) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) are due this term, and post draft-submission, teachers will be working with their students to provide timely and meaningful feedback. CAS is the third component of the Diploma’s Inner Core and our Year 12 students will have CAS interviews later this term. These interviews are aimed at ensuring all students are on track to complete a successful CAS portfolio.

Our German ab initio students will be sitting their final subject exams in the May IB exam session, which is now coming up very soon. Their teachers have been working hard with them to ensure they are informed about, and as prepared as possible for the upcoming exams. To our German ab initio students - good luck for these final exams!

Year 11 Curriculum
After their first term of learning in their Diploma, our Year 11 students have now found their feet and are beginning to understand the pace of the Diploma across their different subjects. This is a timely opportunity to reflect on how their learning strategies have supported them in Term 1, and if there are other strategies they want to try in Term 2. Our team of classroom teachers are incredibly dedicated to supporting our students to succeed to the best of their abilities. For tips and ideas on what different learning strategies students can try in their subjects, I highly encourage students to reach out to their classroom teachers.

Year 10 Curriculum
Year 10 students are now entering their final term in their STEM Futures subjects and will soon select their Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) subjects for their Diploma Preparation Programme which runs for Semester 2. Students will be choosing three higher level and three standard level subjects which are aligned with what they want to study in their Diploma. When picking their subjects and levels, students should consider what they enjoy the most, achieve the best at, and what subjects will support their further studies and career aspirations. The overall aim is to strive for a well-balanced, achievable and enjoyable combination of subjects and levels.

This term our Year 10 students will also be completing their practical work in the Certificate II in Sampling and Measuring, and the Certificate III in Laboratory Skills. At this point it is important all students are up to date with their theory modules which they have been working on since the beginning of this year.

Spotlight on ATL in the classrooms
It has been wonderful walking around the classrooms seeing our senior students so engaged in their subjects across the school and using their Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills. Part of being an IB student means using these five ATL skills: Communication, Research, Social, Self-management and Thinking. At the end of this term, I will highlight to you how I have seen ATL used in our classrooms.

For now, to all our families, thank you for your continued positive support from home, have a wonderful term, and I look forward to sharing with you our students’ successes over this term.
Esme Hatchell, Deputy Principal Senior Years

From the Deputy Principal Middle Years

In recent days it has been wonderful to see our middle years’ students excited to start the new term.
Looking ahead, Term 2 will certainly live up to all expectations with many planned curriculum days, whole school activities, competitions, celebrations, house activities and charity events to look forward to. As I have mentioned in the past, with so many opportunities on offer, I urge all middle years’ students to take every opportunity that comes their way in an effort to enrich all aspects of their schooling life.

In the opening weeks of Term 2 our school calendar is full to the brim. In the first half of Term 2 we will have a resident artist working with our Year 9 and 10 art students, a Year 9 UQ Women in Engineering excursion, a Year 8 and 9 honours students SPARQ-ed workshop, a STEM Girl Power camp, teacher vs student sporting competitions, The Miskin Cup against BBC, a STRM celebration week and an interactive Book Week, to name just a few. A friendly reminder that all calendared QASMT activities can be found on our website. House Deans also send out fortnightly newsletters with important student and parent information across the year.

As we move into the colder months, a few uniform reminders. In the students’ school diaries, pages 2-8, QASMT’s uniform expectations are clearly outlined. In the cooler months students have the option of wearing a QASMT knitted navy jumper, cardigan or vest under their blazer. QASMT also has an official tracksuit that can be worn on active wear days only.

I would like to take the opportunity to remind our middle years’ students of safe road practices when walking to school. From my observations, middle years’ students are walking from the Taringa train station to QASMT via the mandated route. A reminder to students that when walking to school it is important to always be aware of their surroundings. When playing music in headphones, for example, it is difficult to hear oncoming traffic. To avoid accident when crossing streets, do so safely. Use pedestrian crossings where available; look left, right and then left again. Brisbane’s streets are very busy. Please take care.

And finally, when taking public transport, a reminder to students to always tap on and off using their Go Card; offer their seat to older travellers if all seats are taken; and, thank the bus driver when exiting a bus. Manners matter!

I look forward to a very enjoyable term with our middle years’ students.

Kirsten Baker, Deputy Principal Middle Years

STEM Futures Community Project
The STEM Futures Community Project is well and truly underway. Year 9 students, with guidance from a team of 20 supervisors, have set about investigating and planning a range of community projects that matter. Focusing on community and service, our Year 9 students are planning steps to enact service as action in the global community.

This term the students are moving into the ‘taking action’ phase of the project. It is in this phase that students demonstrate service as action and the many thinking skills, communication skills and social skills that this phase requires for successful completion. It is during this phase that students need to meet their established timelines, contribute equally within their group, keep their process journal up-to-date and meet regularly with their teacher supervisor in an effort to produce their product/outcome on time. The due date for this is Week 6 of this term, May 24 2023. On May 24, students will undertake checkpoint three by meeting with their supervisor to show evidence of completion of their project and reflect on their group’s ATL skill development.

I wish all students well with their community projects in the weeks ahead.

Veronica Fortune, Community Project Coordinator

From the inclusion team

Student Leadership at QASMT
This term students from Years 7-11 will be sent the student leadership application package. This package will include specific role descriptions for each of the student leadership opportunities inclusive of Academy captains, house captains and ambassadors, twelve portfolio captains and ambassador positions. Our student leaders take an extremely active role in shaping and creating the student experience here at QASMT. We have an extensive range of activities and celebrations in our calendar that are student-led. These derive from the various leadership groups based on student feedback and interests.

Part of our strategic priority is to foster meaningful connections, develop optimal wellbeing and support the development of global citizenship and leaders for now and the future. Our captains and ambassadors are also asked to be a part of a number of working parties in the Academy. These working parties are collaborative groups that include teachers, students and school leaders who work on developing and driving programmes and change within the Academy. It is a wonderful opportunity for students not only to have agency but to learn how to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders which encourages leadership development.

We encourage all students to look at the leadership positions and apply in areas they are interested in and passionate about. I would like to remind students that they should not apply just for a badge.

First Nation Celebrations
The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023, Be a Voice for Generations, encourages all Australians to continue to act for change. Every year from 27 May to 3 June is National Reconciliation Week - a time for all Australians to get involved in reconciliation. To understand more about what reconciliation means to First Nations people you can read about what the benefits are for all Australians here.

I will be seeking students in Semester 2 to be a part of a working group to develop our QASMT Reconciliation Action Plan.

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday) to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. You can support and get to know your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities through activities and events held across the country. For more information, please visit here.

Jane Manwaring, Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing

From The Director Data and Technology

QUT Droid Racing Challenge (DRC) 2023
The QASMT Droid Racing Challenge team are preparing for the 2023 competition where universities and schools from around Australia and the world are invited to bring the automated bots they have built to traverse an obstacle course. Held at QUT Gardens Point Campus in July, the competition features use of computer vision to autonomously navigate around the racetrack, avoiding collisions with other vehicles and obstacles, and respond to road signs to take the correct path. Teams must find creative and innovative solutions to these challenges.

Last year we competed in the QUT Droid Racing Challenge as one of the first two high school teams. The challenge consists of a track made up of yellow and blue tape lines where teams compete to build robots to get the fastest lap time. We just missed out on the finals, placing fifth out of 14 teams from universities such as QUT, UQ, and USYD.

We are glad we made it around the track but there was room for improvement. Our robot suffered from two key issues. The first of which was trying to detect the lines on the shiny floor. The second issue was to do with the car we used as our base. As the battery voltage dropped, it would behave differently, making it very difficult to tune the code. It also had a large turning radius and did not drive slowly very well, making the hairpin turns difficult. We plan to compete again in Week 1 of Term 3 so we have a chance to make a better robot.

We have already started with a new base for our robot. This new base is a lot more manoeuvrable and performs well at both high and low speeds. It is also a lot smaller, giving it more space in the turns and making transport easier. The biggest feature is that it uses brushless direct drive. This means that there are no gears in the motors, resulting in super quiet and efficient operation.

We have also been working hard on the software. We have trained a machine learning model that can detect the tape lines, regardless of motion blur, glare, or the colour of the ground. Hopefully, this will allow the robot to work better on unseen tracks.

Results from the machine learning model. Image is the input, ground truth is the expected result, and prediction is what the model outputted.

Larry Vint, Acting Director Data and Technology

From the Department of Language and Literature

Term 2 of 2023 sees teachers and students tackling a wide range of texts and ways of expressing their learning over the various phases of learning across Years 7 to 12.
As ever, we are exploring ways in which academic rigor can be married with creative and individualised ways to express learning outcomes.

One of the key events in the coming term is the annual Book Week celebrations. Instigated and coordinated by our Year 11 students, Book Week will be a celebration of student engagement with a variety of texts that are read meaningfully by our students at QASMT. Our students have arranged a Taylor Swift Reading Circle, a Literary Potatoes decorating competition, a Lunchtime Literary Quiz, and a True Crime Lunchtime Chill Out Zone. All these activities emphasise and celebrate the genuine enjoyment that results from reading texts in a variety of ways.

Years 7, 8 and 9 continue their conceptual approach to their studies this term. Year 7 are studying the novel Wonder by R. J Palacio via the lens provided by their Statement of Inquiry: Perspectives are shaped by context and communication. Year 8 will interrogate their Statement of Inquiry: Characters and themes provide insight into community power and privilege while studying George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Year 9 are exploring the drama text The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and will use evidence from the play to engage with the Statement of Inquiry: Personal expression of one’s perspective leads to personal development.

Within the Diploma Preparation Programme and the Diploma Programme, our students are looking at a range of non-literary texts to exercise their skills of analysis. Year 10s are exploring a variety of non-literary persuasive texts in preparation for an analytical oral presentation. Year 11 are interacting with a variety of non-literary Bodies of Work that will potentially inform their internal assessment in Term 4. A key element that unites these texts is the presentation of the experiences of marginalised voices across a variety of mediums, times and places. Our Year 12 students are concluding their preparation for their November 2023 Paper 2 by studying Kamila Shamsie’s adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone via the novel Home Fire. Once this is completed, they too will turn their focus to a variety of non-literary multimodal texts in which they explore concepts relating to family, culture, identity, gender, beliefs, education, socio-economic status, power and technology.

It’s an engaging and busy term that we are about to embark upon with our students. We know from our experience working with QASMT students that their industry, vivacity and love of language will make this yet another term to celebrate.

David Bracken, Head of Department Language and Literature

From the Department of Language Acquisition

Welcome back.
In the Department of Language Acquisition, we look forward to an exciting term. Our students have settled in well and hopefully will continue to build on their successes from last term. This term we also welcome Ms Fiona Scarth to our team. Ms Scarth brings with her a wealth of knowledge in Japanese teaching and curriculum writing and we look forward to her ideas.

Tutorials and Support
Tutorial times and teachers are being finalised this week. We will email the calendar as soon as possible. Remember, spending 10 to 15 minutes daily revising vocabulary and going over what you have learnt in class is a very important strategy in language learning.

Homework in Language Acquisition
Please remember that in Year 7 and Year 8 your student should not be working more than 50 minutes a week. The teachers in our department are setting weekly homework, often on Education Perfect. I would recommend 10 minutes a day, no more. If your student is spending hours each week on homework for their language class, please contact their teacher or myself.

In Year 9 and 10, it can be up to two hours but again it should be no more than 20 minutes a day.

Parent Teacher Interviews
Our first set of parent teacher interviews are this term. These interviews are a way of meeting the teacher, seeing some of your student’s assessments and discussing any concerns that you may have. It is always useful to bring your student along so that all discussions can be had as a team. Please book early to avoid disappointment. If you miss out, don’t forget that you are always welcome to email your student’s teacher for more information on their learning progress or alternatively, arrange for a time when the teacher can call you for that discussion.

Updates for Year 12 students
Viel Glück to our Year 12 German students. They will be sitting their final IB exams in Week 4. This will be our last cohort of German ab initio and we will certainly miss them.

Good luck to our Year 12 ab initio classes for French, Spanish and Japanese. Their final IB orals will be in Week 6 this term. Make sure you ask any questions to your teachers early and attend tutorials if needed.

International Mindedness
With Harmony Week behind us we will be busy planning ahead for the next two terms. Please let us know, if you have any ideas or suggestions that would promote international mindedness and cross-cultural understanding in our school community.

Mila Reynolds, Acting Head of Department Language Acquisition

From the Department of Technology & the Arts

Welcome to Term 2 in the Technology & The Arts Department.
As usual, we have a busy term ahead with lots of exciting learning opportunities for all.

The Arts
Media Arts Year 7 and 8

In Term 2 our Year 7 and 8 visual art students are exploring media arts.

Year 7 students will be devising and creating a one-minute silent film. In groups they will be learning about camera angles, storyboarding, filming and editing, applying silent film conventions to a story based on fables. In Year 8, our students will be creating a stop motion Claymation about a STEAM Influencer. Students will learn three-dimensional construction techniques and basic editing to create their Claymation animations.

Visual Art Year 9 and 10
Year 9 Artists as Changemakers we will be exploring the age old genre of Still Life, unpacking composition and symbolism. Our Year 10s will be immersing themselves in the colour blue and the craft of mixed media.

Our Year 9s and Year 10s have also enjoyed a full day artist workshop with Catherine Parker (Monday, Week 2).

Year 7 Music

Students are pitching a new musical theatre concept to a panel of producers - working as a team, groups will develop presentation skills by articulating industry related aspects such as budget forecasts, marketing outlines and production notes. Each student will compose a song in the style of musical theatre and publish it on notation software. Students will also perform solo for others.

Year 8 Music
Students are developing orchestration and arranging skills by composing a reimagined piece. By doing so, they are researching genre-specific musical elements and demonstrating creativity to compose melodies and harmonies whilst considering texture, form and tonality. Students are presenting through music performance whilst justifying decisions exploring areas such as inclusion, sustainability and technological innovation.

Design and Technology
Year 7 Design

The development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is progressing at a significant pace. There are many uses for AVs such as driverless taxis and robo-buses, parcel and food delivery services, long-haul trucking, unmanned vehicles on the moon and dangerous terrains, entertainment rides in theme parks and so much more. This term our students are exploring the world of autonomous vehicles through our SOI 'feedback allows a system to function autonomously' in our robotics unit. For the assessment, students are required to research applications for autonomous vehicles in the present or in the future. This gives students the opportunity to be creative and imaginative.

Year 8 Design
Year 8 students will be developing algorithmic thinking skills through problem solving. Students will learn how to create flow charts and understand the importance of using them to develop reliable successful solutions. Students will 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.

Year 9

This term, our Biomedical Engineering students are investigating the booming field of personalised medication. Students will engage in the design cycle to identify a real-world client and take their concerns through the process of ideation, research, testing and prototyping a solution. Students will be identifying an existing medical treatment and developing an innovative personalised solution for their client. Students will 3D print their final prototypes and present their solutions.

Our Disrupting the Market students are forming marketing teams to create promotional merchandise to support a pivoting business. Students will utilise the laser cutter technology and skills to present a cohesive marketing package to ensure the pivoting business reaches their customer base.

Can automating our homes reduce our environmental impact? Future of Automation students will use their mechatronic skills to automate a system in their homes. They will explore unsustainable systems around the home, and using microcontrollers, design, create and code a prototype solution automating that system.

Year 10 Living in a Digital Society
Everyday people put more and more information about themselves online. 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 the topic for Year 10 students 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 has been under threat. Students will be encouraged to actively engage in podcasts such as the Lazarus project to understand the impacts of this topic.

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

Year 11 Computer Science
This term our students will continue to develop an understanding and skills in computational thinking, Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and computer networking. In addition to this, students will be exploring how apps are developed, from planning and design to developing functionality and GUI components with their practice projects.

Year 11 Digital Society
This term, we are inquiring into areas that are significant to life in the field of economics and the environment. Some of our topics include cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), micro-transactions, additive manufacturing, green computing, e-waste, transportation and wayfinding, maps, global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS). We welcome parents as guest speakers as we explore the opportunities and dilemmas arising in our fast-paced digital society.

Year 12 Information Technology in a Global Society

Our case study explores the return of the physical retail store. With new technologies such as customer assistance robots, smart shelves and companion apps, the modern shopping experience has the potential to be very different from that of the days of old. But what is the impact of these new technologies on staff and customers?

We are also exploring how projects are managed and developed in different organisations. While many of us have had to struggle with delays to deadlines and interruptions to projects, the impacts of our organisational processes for changing plans are an important exploration.

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

Year 12 students have learnt about using recursion to solve simple and complex problems. They continue to explore recommendation algorithms, as well as a theoretical and practical understanding of programming. In addition to this, they are investigating resources within a computer (Topic 6) as well as control systems, including centralised, distributed and autonomous (Topic 7) from the computer science syllabus.

And lastly, a word from our Technology Ambassadors

Our Technology Captain, Daniel, writes:

To kick off the term, we'll be running two activities for STRM week: a 360 camera booth and VR experiences. Following STRM week we'll be running the Mario Kart competition in Week 5 and possibly a day or two into Week 6. We're also planning to release our first version of Geoguesser in Week 7 and publish the guides for Daymap, Onenote, EP and the e-library around a similar time.

As you can see, it will continue to be a busy, but rewarding, term of learning.

Madeleine Brookes, Head of Department Technology & The Arts

From the Department of Individuals and Societies

Warm welcome to all new and returning QASMT students from the entire Individuals and Societies faculty.
We look forward to getting to know each one of you in our classes and experience lots of fun as we are challenged to learn new things regarding the rapidly changing world around us.

Over the course of the first two weeks, I visited as many classes as possible to deliver some key messages as follows:

Look after your wellbeing as a student. Get a healthy amount of sleep and balance your personal and study workload.
Embrace learning through concepts and case studies. The world around us is always evolving and changing. Accept that there is rarely one right answer due to the fact there are multiple perspectives to consider, and we all have biases due to the time, place and space in which we live.
Find a way to access the news daily. This might be with radio, print or through social media. This way you will know what is happening in your local, national and global society.
Sharing of the Group 3 Individuals and Societies success of our 2022 graduates
- Business Management 6.25 GPA, 93% students achieved a 6 or a 7. The world average was 5.12 and 43%.
- Economics 6.35 GPA (Academy best), 83% students achieved a 6 or 7. The world average was 5.58 and 58%.
- Psychology 6.53 GPA (Academy best), 92% students achieved a 6 or 7. The world average was 5.45.

Foundation
Year 7s will commence with Civics and Citizenship with the unit focusing on government systems and will explore how values, attitudes and beliefs shape systems of government in the world. Cooperation and conflict trigger turning points which lead to change (focusing on an Australian history perspective) will form the basis of Year 8 study for History. The federation of the Australian states and then Australia’s involvement in World War I are two specific case studies that will be utilised.

STEM Futures
Year 9 MYP students have selected one of five options that combine elements of Business, Economics, Forensic Psychology, Politics and Globalisation. Forensic Psychology (combination of Psychology and Biology) will look at the impact of behaviour and cognition and how this impacts crime. World in Your Pocket (combination of Economics and Business) will explore how scarcity of goods/services means global interactions and trade occur. The four Ps of marketing are then studied to relate to how individual businesses meet this demand. Future of Global Cooperation (Politics, Civics and Citizenships) explores how ideologies shape government structures and political systems. There are ‘left’ and ‘right’ views on various issues and this is due to individuals' own perspectives and what they value.

The Year 10 STEM Futures courses have been designed in collaboration with UQ. Show Me the Money has a pathway to Business Management; Tragedy of the Commons gives insights into Economics while Inside Your Head leads to Psychology. Each of these subjects explores topics that UQ have recommended are important for the future.

Diploma Programme
Year 11 students will commence their DP studies in Business Management, Economics or Psychology with the first unit laying the foundations of the course. All three subjects have a block exam at the end of term. The focus at the start of this term for Year 12 students is to complete their Internal Assessments (IAs) which are due in Week 4.

This year we have new staff member Grant Altoft joining the faculty. Grant brings a wealth of IB experience, both DP and MYP, to the team.

A few words from Grant
Teaching experience: 30 Years in various levels in Queensland and internationally, past 9.5 years teaching IB MYP Individuals and Society and DP Economics, Business Management and Geography in international schools in Hong Kong. I am also an IB Economics Paper 3 and Internal Assessment examiner.

When not teaching: I love spending time with my family. I am enjoying getting back into the Australian great outdoors again. I am hoping to soon be able to do some camping and fishing.

From the ToK Coordinator David King

DP1 TOK

This term the students are working through their compulsory theme, ‘Knowledge and the knower’ and developing an understanding of how they acquire and share knowledge. In addition, they will be reviewing an area of knowledge, Mathematics. They will be completing a school-based assessment later this term which is a practice exhibition commentary of 350 words on an object of their choice. This is in preparation for their final assessment later this year.

DP2 TOK

This term the students are reviewing the five areas of knowledge and preparing for their final essay assessment They will be completing a practice essay task this term where they become familiar with the scaffold for the essay and the need to use personal and unique examples to support their arguments in their essay. The prescribed titles for their final essay assessment will be issued at the start of March and students will then need to select two of these titles as their preferred choice before the end of this term, so they are ready to submit a draft essay of 1600 words by mid Term 2.

All the best to all QASMT students this term!

Lyle Fredericksen, Head of Department Individuals and Societies

From the Department of Physical Sciences

Welcome to Term 2!
I hope all our students and their families had a relaxing term break and are ready for a second term of science.

Year 9
Year 9 students from across four Physical Science subjects are continuing with their chosen electives as they build on their knowledge: Biochemical Solutions students are studying biochemistry in Living Chemistry; Fuelling the Planet students are learning about alternative fuels in  Fuels for Society; Medical Physics students are studying electromagnetic waves in Radiation Medicine; and World of Reactions students are learning about the concept of Green Chemistry in Reaction Revolution.

Year 10
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 our visiting speaker from UQ who will present an exciting lecture on astrophysics, while our Year 10 Future Materials students will be welcoming 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 that they are reflecting on their progress this term as they consider their future subject choices.

Year 11
This Term our Year 11 Physics students will carry out their practice IA which is an important first step in their preparation for their final IA at the end of the year. Alongside this they will continue the content of their IB Diploma, including the topics of thermal physics and waves. Meanwhile, our Year 11 Chemistry students will learn about how the nature of a chemical bond can influence both the physical and chemical properties of a chemical species. This will lead into the topic of thermochemistry where they will address the energy associated with these bonds.

All of our Year 11 Science students will partake in the Group 4 project planning day which is a unique aspect of the IB Curriculum that requires students across different disciplines in the Group 4 subject area to collaborate on a common project. This is a fun day that develops our students’ ability to work collaboratively in a diverse group.

Year 12
For our Year 12 students, this is a very busy term and so it is very important for them to be aware of the different assessment due dates for the term. Chemistry draft IAs were due at the beginning of Week 2, and the Chemistry final IA is due towards the end of term. Meanwhile, in class, students will continue studying organic chemistry, spectroscopy, and our option topic, biochemistry. Our Year 12 Physics students have already submitted their final IA and so now need to complete their learning in astrophysics.

Extracurricular Science Updates
This term we have a fantastic offering of extracurricular science activities including several science CCAs: Junior Science Club, Crystal Growing Club, Astronomy Club and the Physics Olympiads 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 Sciences teachers who run them; this information is available on the Term 2 CCA list.

Finally, our STEM Seminar Speakers will continue to visit. This term we will have two visiting speakers and all QASMT students and staff are welcome and are encouraged to attend these 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 research in our very own lecture theatre.

To all our students and families, our team of Physical Sciences teachers are ready to support you in your academic and extracurricular science endeavours this term. We hope you have a wonderful Term 2. I will leave you with a beautiful image of the partial solar eclipse that occurred in Week 1 of this term. It was captured by Benjamin and Isaac (Year 10) during Astronomy club.

Robert Hughes, Head of Department Physical Sciences

From the Department of Life Sciences

Welcome back to Term 2.
I hope you all had a restful Easter break and managed to spend quality time with friends and family. This term looks to be an exciting and interesting term filled with inquiry and enrichment opportunities.

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 investigate 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 and look at the effectiveness of solar panels through experimentation.

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 8 Science
Year 8 students will be learning about chemical reactions. They will be exploring the statement of inquiry:

“Chemical change involves interactions that occur at an atomic level and is always accompanied by energy change.”

They will be using their inquiry skills to conduct a scientific investigation on chemical change. Students will be exploring aspects of the periodic table, understand what compounds and molecules while developing and building their practical skills.

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 do this by researching, designing and building one aspect of a sustainable city. Students may look at energy production, 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 Blue Planet
Year 10 Blue Planet students are investigating human impact on the environment. They are learning about environmental legislation and how to assess whether future development has an impact on the ecosystem. Students will be heading out to Moreton Bay Environmental Education Centre where they will conduct environmental surveys on two different sites, an environmentally protected site and a site where human activity is allowed. They will identify possible environmental issues and develop solutions to these issues.

The students will finish the term by doing a case study analysis on the impact of the Olympic Games, in particular the sailing events, on the coastal region.

Year 10 Medical Biotechnology
The focus of Term 2 for Year 10 Medical Biotechnology students is ‘Cells and Immunity’. 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.

Year 11 Biology
Year 11 students will pick up where they left off last term with Topic 2. Both SL and HL classes will be completing their first IA this term, where they will be investigating enzyme action. Students will be strengthening their IA skills in data collection and the writing of their IA.

Our annual Group 4 planning day will also occur this term for our Year 11 students. The aim of the day is for students to develop workshops for our younger Year 7 students. The Group 4 project is an essential part of the IB Diploma, and it is always thoroughly enjoyed by all students. It is great to watch the Year 11 students develop leadership skills while creating genuine and meaningful lessons for the Year 7s.

Science Enrichment
UQ Women in Engineering
UQ Women in Engineering have two events that QASMT will be participating in this term.
On Thursday April 27, a group of Year 9 students will attend 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.

“The beautiful think about learning is nobody can take that away from you” B. B. King

Vanessa Bermingham, Head of Department Life Sciences

From the Department of Mathematics

Term 2 has commenced with returning assessment, finalising reports and setting up enrichment programs.
This term is jam-packed with exciting curriculum and interesting activities both in and out of Mathematics classrooms.

In the classrooms…
Year 7 students are part way through a unit titled How can we bring things together? They are studying the concepts of fractions and solving algebraic equations. Alongside this, they are continuing to investigate patterns which will culminate in a level 7-8 assessment in Week 4. The interdisciplinary unit with science will begin after this with a maths focus on data and statistics.

Year 8 will investigate percentage, ratio, graphing and straight lines in their Money, Money, Money unit. They will apply this knowledge to a Criteria C (communicating) and D (applying mathematics in real-life contexts) test in Week 7.

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.

Year 10 students will be selecting their Semester 2 subjects this term based on their performance and preference for the different styles of exam and questions seen in Term 1 and extended on in Term 2. Their classwork will focus on algebraic fractions, volume and surface area, statistics, quadratics and trigonometry before a test at the end of the term. In the Diploma Programme, Year 11 students will reflect on how they performed in their first exams before working through their next concepts. Year 12 students will be focused on refining their internal assessment after the drafting process, as well as finishing topics in their coursework.

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 how to approach a question. These are drop-in sessions with no expectation to stay for the entire session or come each week. They are held in lower D Block at the following times:

Year 7- 10 - Tuesday after school (3:20-4:00pm) or Wednesday lunch (10:40-11:20am)

Year 11-12 - Thursday 11:00-11:40am

Maths Enrichment
There are a number of mathematics enrichment opportunities on offer this term.

Maths Challenge and Maths Enrichment programs offered by AMT (Australian Mathematics Trust). Over 200 students have signed up for these programs which will begin in the next few weeks.
Maths Ambassador Activities – The maths ambassador leadership team have a number of events planned including another escape room, problem of the week and STRM week celebrations where Science, Technology, Robotics and Mathematics ambassadors will join to create a week of fun activities for everyone to engage in.

It is shaping up to be another exciting term in the Maths Department.

Jane Gorman, Head of Department Mathematics

From Education Outside of the Classroom (EOTC)

Having had such a great start to the year, the EOTC faculty is excited to jump straight back into Term 2, providing another term full of engaging opportunities outside the classroom and in PHE.

Here is a little more information about what our students will be doing during Term 2.

PHE and STEM 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 in a unit entitled Faster, Higher, Stronger. 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 be following 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 in a unit entitled Use it or lose it. Through these experiences, we hope to develop positive habits by promoting knowledge and understanding of health and fitness.

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

In our Peak Performance STEM course, students will explore new technologies in sports, exercise and health science leading to a major project. They will examine the factors that affect human performance and be able to measure and evaluate them. Components of fitness, training thresholds and data collected from field tests will be analysed which all link to the unit entitled Measuring Performance.

CCA and Sport
It’s time to take on new challenges in our Term 2 co-curricular program as students have been allocated into their CCAs of choice. We are excited to announce several new clubs to our program, including origami, social entrepreneurship, and Pickleball, to name just a few. With the weather cooling down, we also welcome back our astronomy club, providing students with a fun and engaging opportunity to learn how to use the school telescopes to look at the Moon, planets, stars, galaxies and nebule. Amazing! With proven links to academic success, reduced stress and positive influences on social-emotional wellbeing, our sports program continues to be an integral aspect of QASMT culture, challenging hundreds of students once again in Term 2. Students will dribble, step and spike their way through the term, led by our expert soccer, netball and volleyball coaches. Our seniors competed in the West Brisbane Secondary School Sport Gala Day in Week 1 and did us proud with their skills, growth mindset and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to the following teams who won Senior Gala Day pennants:

Year 10 Boys Badminton
Year 10 Boys Volleyball
Year 10 Girls Volleyball

Lastly, rally your house colours, onesies and dust off your running shoes; it’s time for our annual athletics carnival, set to take place at UQ again this year. Through the use of their facilities, we hope to promote high levels of participation at this year’s event and offer a wide range of activities for students to engage in. Stay tuned for more information throughout the term.

Look out for CCA and sport updates via our socials to stay up to date with our students' amazing experiences!

Saengdao Philavane, Acting Head of Education Outside the Classroom

From the House Dean of Agnesi

Welcome to Term 2 Agnesi House. I hope you are all ready for another action packed few weeks.
I would like to introduce you to our new Year 7 ambassadors. Welcome to Ella and Anika. We are happy to have you join the Agnesi team and look forward to your contribution to our house. Also, a huge welcome to Fiona Scarth who is joining Agnesi House as InStep Mentor for INA04. I am sure you will make Mrs Scarth feel at home in no time.

Cross Country
It was good to watch Jenny and Gavin lift the cross country trophy at the commencement assembly last week. Congratulations also to Calvin on winning the Year 10 boys competition. I am hoping we can continue to build on our success this term. This term we have the opportunity to gain house points in the Interhouse Mini-Olympics competition and in the sustainable fashion parade. More about these later.

Purple Hearts
Our purple hearts winners for Term 1 are Connie, Gavin and Liesel. They were nominated for their kindness, consideration and support for their fellow Agnesians. Can I please encourage everyone to nominate a fellow Agnesi student for a purple heart award? Nomination slips are located outside Agnesi House Dean’s office.

Interhouse Mini-Olympics – Week 3
In Week 3, Agnesi House InSteps will compete against each other in the latest round of the Interhouse Mini-Olympics. This round involves flipping a plastic cup from inverted to upright. The highest scoring InStep from Agnesi House will then go on to represent the house in the finals. Good luck Agnesi InSteps.

Athletics Carnival – Week 6
Can we possibly make it a double for Agnesi House by winning the athletics carnival this year? I don’t see why not if we enter into the spirit of the day. This year’s athletics carnival will take place on Tuesday 23 May and I hope to see wall to wall purple on the day.

Year 11 Camp – Week 7
I am looking forward to spending three days with Year 11 students at leadership camp in lovely Mapleton. This year the camp will run from Wednesday 31 May to Friday 2 June and is sure to be a memorable adventure. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to really come together as a year level and forge bonds that will last long after you leave QASMT.

Uniform and lost property
A reminder about uniform for Term 2. In addition to the standard expectations regarding uniform including hair and jewellery, students are required to wear their blazer to and from school, along with their school hats. Students have the option to wear their pullover or cardigan in addition to their blazer. Any students with incorrect uniform items should see me in my office before school starts for a uniform pass. Can I also request that all Agnesi students have their name written on their hats, blazers and water bottles? I will be providing InStep mentors with a sharpie pen to ensure this is done as soon as possible. The number of water bottles in lost property is really too high.

I hope that everyone in Agnesi House has a great term ahead and I look forward to hearing about your triumphs and successes. As always, if there is anything I can do to support you in any way please do not hesitate to contact me

Aileen Davis, House Dean Agnesi

From the House Dean of Curie

Welcome to Term 2!
Welcome Curie students and parents to Term 2. I hope you all enjoyed some time off during the break. In my conversations with students, many families went camping or on trips to the beach these holidays. They are very lucky indeed. Students should now be refreshed and ready for Term 2. Please enjoy the term ahead article below.

House Captains and Ambassadors
QASMT prides itself in providing numerous leadership opportunities for students. During Term 1, new students to the Academy (students in Year 7 and the new Year 10 students), were given the opportunity to apply for various leadership positions across a variety of portfolios. I would like to congratulate the following students who were successful in their leadership applications:

Congratulations to each of you and I am sure you will do a fabulous job.

House Competition Update
As I explained in the Term Ahead article in Term 1, each year the houses at QASMT compete for the House Competition Trophy. Students earn points throughout the year through various events and achievements. Curie is currently placed fourth after the cross country, and I look forward to academic and attendance results for Term 1 being added to our score to see where we are placed. Please encourage your child to get involved to earn points for the house. Students can earn points in the following ways during Term 2:

War cry competition at athletics day
Athletics day (attendance rate and participation points)
Creating a sustainable fashion piece in InStep
Interhouse Mini Olympics (cup flipping competition)
Term overall attendance (every person counts!)
Academic awards

Upcoming Events in Term 2
There are a number of events that students can get involved in this term as well as some important dates to remember. The key dates for Term 2 are indicated below:

War Cry Competition
A major part of the house competition each year is the war cry competition. This occurs twice throughout the year at the cross country carnival (in Week 6 of Term 1) and during athletics day (in Week 6 of Term 2). The war cry has evolved over the years to include specialised lyrics, dance movements and props! At the cross country carnival, Curie’s war cry finished in fifth place. The Curie leadership team has discussed our areas for improvement and we have delivered this to the house. For Term 2, Curie students will rehearse every Thursday during InStep in the auditorium until the competition. We had our first rehearsal in Week 1, and already students are bringing much more energy and enthusiasm. I encourage you to ask your children to share with you the lyrics and dance moves!

Athletics Day
In 2022, QASMT held their first ever athletics carnival at the athletics stadium at UQ. This was a tremendous success, with world class facilities, and comfortable seating for all. The athletics carnival this year will again take place at UQ on Tuesday 23 May (Week 6). Attendance is expected, and students are to find their own way to and from the venue. There will also be buses put on to and from the school. More information will be shared with parents/caregivers in due course.

Athletics day is not a day simply for gifted and talented athletes. It is all about encouraging students to be active and to have fun with their friends. At QASMT, we run both competitive and participation events, so all students can be involved. Students are able to participate in three field events (long jump, shot putt and high jump) and three track events (100m, 200m and 400m). My expectation is that at the very least, Curie students participate in all the participation events with their friends. For example, just running up to the high jump mat and diving under the bar with your friends is fun and earns the house a participation point. For the more serious athletes, they can compete in the competitive events against other athletes that are vying to win. I really look forward to the house banding together and being involved in this event.

Curie House Charity and Bake Sale
You may or may not be aware, but each house at QASMT supports a local charity. At Curie House, we support Be Uplifted Inc, a unique breast cancer charity that seeks to improve the lives of women, men and their families experiencing difficulty or disadvantage as a consequence of breast cancer. The charity exclusively works with people in Brisbane. During Term 2, one of the founders of Be Uplifted Inc will be coming to speak to students about the charity’s work.

In Week 7, we will hold a bake sale to raise money. All families are asked to bring in some baked goods that they have either made or purchased. Newton House raised over $1,200 for their charity during their bake sale in Term 1, and I look forward to seeing if we can raise even more than this! So, dust off those oven mitts, warm up those ovens and start thinking about what you can contribute to the Curie bake sale!

The Miskin Cup
Here at QASMT we love to find ways for students to be involved in representing the school and to build school spirit. We are excited to announce that the inaugural “Miskin Cup”, a series of competitive events between QASMT and Brisbane Boys College (BBC), has been initiated between both schools. This competition is aimed at developing and fostering a healthy, competitive relationship with our neighbour school. The events will run throughout the year and will range across sports, robotics and debating - the first event was a football (soccer) match at BBC on 27 April. Please encourage your child to attend these events.

Winter Uniform Reminder
As cooler weather is approaching, I thought it would be useful to share some information around uniform expectations in winter. This will ensure students and parents are all on the same page.

Blazers: In Term 2, students are required to wear their blazers to and from school every day (which will aid in keeping them warm). They are permitted to store their blazer in their locker once they have arrived at the Academy but must wear it when leaving school. Please ensure your child is following this expectation.
Pullover/cardigan: A navy pullover and cardigan is available at uniform shops and can be worn with the formal uniform.
Additional layers: Students can wear a white undershirt or singlet/vest that is not visible to add an extra layer to keep them warm if necessary.
Hats: Students are required to wear their school hats to and from school every day, and during break times at school.
Optional winter items: Students are permitted to wear optional items to aid in keeping them warm, including a school issued winter scarf, and/or black, opaque stockings with no patterns or embroidery.
Activewear winter items: Students are permitted to wear the school sports tracksuit and/or tracksuit pants only when wearing their activewear uniform. Students are not permitted to wear their sports tracksuit when they are wearing their formal uniform. Their blazer is instead to be used for additional warmth.

If you have any questions or concerns about uniform, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Positive Education – Insight into Positive Emotions
Positive Emotions is a key domain of our Positive Education Program (PEP), in which there are six domains in total. It is vitally important that human’s experience positive emotions regularly. Barbara Frederickson, a leading scholar who studies positive emotions, found that people who experience positive emotions in a ratio of 3:1 (in relation to negative emotions) are more likely to live flourishing and fulfilled lives. So, the question for you is, what can you do to experience more positive emotions yourself, and how can you encourage your child to do the same?

One suggestion from the Institute of Positive Education is to create a morning ritual that enhances positivity. This means to do something consistent every morning that helps you feel warmth or invigoration, which will lead to an increase in those positive feelings. For example, you might set the alarm ten minutes earlier to:

do some exercise, such as going for a walk around the block (with a pet potentially)
give yourself some extra time to make yourself a nice coffee
give yourself more time to cook a more nutritious breakfast
complete a short mindfulness meditation.

In the last six months, after learning about morning rituals, I myself have set my alarm 15 minutes earlier, so that I have time to make myself a nice coffee with my coffee machine and cook myself eggs. This really does lead to me having a more positive start to my day when I can savour the coffee rather than rush out the door drinking it.

In PEP lessons, we teach students to harness the power of positive emotions. We encourage them to think deeply about the things that bring them joy, and to look for ways to experience these more often. This can have a considerable impact on their wellbeing. I am looking forward to speaking with students to find out the ways that they increase positive feelings in their lives, and to see if any of them have taken up a morning ritual.

Final Summary
By the time you read this, students will have received their academic reports for Term 1 (other than Year 7 students, who only receive an interim report in Term 1). I would really encourage you to sit down with your child and discuss their report and the grades for each subject. What are they proud of? Where is there room for improvement? If they have achieved really strong grades, ask them what strategies led to this result. What do they need to do to consolidate these grades? If your child struggles to answer the question of improvement, please direct them to their class teacher for further feedback or feel free to contact the teacher yourself.

I look forward to supporting your child to achieve their best both academically and personally. As always, my door is always open, and I encourage your child to see me when any issues arise. Should you need anything please do not hesitate to contact me on mwhee63@eq.edu.au or phone the school on 3377 9333.

Kind regards,
Marc Wheeler, House Dean Curie

From the House Dean of Da Vinci

This term Da Vinci House is focused on three major goals:

Increasing student voice
Increasing students’ sense of belonging in Da Vinci InSteps
Ensuring 100% participation at athletics – “come, try and have a great time!”

The student leadership team - led by Yash and Ranuga - have a variety of ideas to ensure our house continues with its successes in student agency and belonging. The first initiative is a clipboard discussion system, where each week the student leadership team pose a question for Da Vinci students, on clipboards. Each ambassador will take a clipboard and collect student responses, fostering a sense of community through face to face discussion, debate and discord. The team looks forward to seeing the weekly topics and ideas.

InStep time
Da Vinci InStep is a time where we get to relax, talk and enjoy each other’s company. We have a student led system while also engaging in a HUGE number of activities. Term 2 will see InSteps engage in:

Mini Olympics
Sustainable fashion creation
War cry creation and practice
Athletics participation drum up
Student led activities

Arushi in Year 11 has linked her CAS project to supporting students’ wellbeing in Da Vinci House and this term she continues to offer a wellbeing lunch activity for Da Vinci students. Da Vinci enjoys supporting the projects developed by our CAS students.

PEP
Our Positive Education Program (PEP) continues in Term 2. Year 7 to 11 students will engage in a weekly lesson that focuses on ensuring our students flourish. Positive education believes that for a student to flourish, they must engage in each of the domains. A wonderful dinner time conversation with your child is engaging in a discussion around what domain they are studying, what have they learned and how are they implementing their understanding into their daily lives.

Welcome and celebrations
I want to take this opportunity to welcome to our leadership team Amaan and Chelsea, our new Year 7 ambassadors. We look forward to working with them this year.

Finally, a huge congratulations to Lewis, Annah and Jovana for their age championship awards presented at the Term 2 commencement assembly. These awards are for their success at Interhouse Cross Country (Term 1).

Captains Corner
A message from Year 9 Captain Ranuga: Term 1 held many great achievements for Da Vinci, including our amazing success in war cry as well as cross country. Now we've got the ball rolling we can only expect bigger and better in Term 2. Coming up we have big events such as athletics carnival which Da Vinci will smash. With an improved war cry and amazing athletes our dominance won't be a question. In this term, we have also heard your requests, so this term we will also be focusing on taking your ideas to help improve Da Vinci, making it a better place for all of us. Da Vinci is already an amazing house, but what makes it the best is our community and the feeling of belonging, two aspects that we will never lose. Coming into the new term, Da Vinci will simply get better and better.

A message from Year 12 Captain Yash: Congratulations Da Vinci! We've had an incredibly successful Term 1, and we're only going to go forward. This term, the house united to perform a fiery war cry that was the best within QASMT, stemming from our hard work and our tangible spirit. While we couldn't win cross country, we will come back harder for athletics carnival this term. I would also like to give a shout out to our Year 7s, who have settled well into our school community and embraced Da Vinci's culture, and all of Da Vinci for providing them with a very warm welcome into our school. I look forward to the many exciting events this term, and don't forget to participate in our InStep activities.

House Dean Focus
As House Dean of Da Vinci, my focus for this term is to reintroduce the one on one check-ins that began in 2022. This is an opportunity for all students to meet one on one with me. Our discussions focus on workload, self-management, sustainable habits (such as sleep) and relationships. In addition to these discussions, I will be monitoring GPA, attendance, late and behaviour data to ensure Da Vinci students are best placed for a successful Term 2.

Yours in green
Stacy Wallace-Cunningham, House Dean Da Vinci

From the House Dean of Franklin

Welcome to Term 2, Franklion family.
Our new Year 7s and 10s have now truly settled into the Academy way of life. Term 2 began with observing Anzac Day, which was a truly fitting service. Well done to all involved. Franklin House will compete in the Academy athletics carnival in Week 6 and Year 11 will attend their year level camp in Mapleton. I am always excited to witness the indomitable Franklin spirit that continues to be on display during Interhouse competitions. Our war cry has been improved by our student leaders and will surely prove that winning is in our DNA.

*Year 8 Franklions posing after their finals victory in the final of tug-of-war*

Performance
I am proud of the Franklin House record regarding correct uniform in Term 1, the most consistent performance for any house. This positive behaviour should be built on with continuing punctuality to class and arrival at Academy. We want you to thrive and flourish in your studies as well as social and emotional wellbeing.

Leaders
We have also returned from the Easter break with new Year 7 leaders. It will be great to put their eagerness, positivity and new ideas to good use. Our house noticeboard will remain maintained with information, and we will begin work with our house charity, RSPCA as well.

Lion of the Term
Our senior Lion(s) of the Term for Term 1 are Leah, Parth and Prana. Well done to these students for being nominated by their fellow Franklions for their kindness, reliance and willingness to help others in need.

I look forward to the term ahead and the opportunities presented to us in classes and outside the Academy. It is often these opportunities that form part of a bigger picture, allowing further insight into our abilities and particularly the things we are not good at. A quote from Rosalind Franklin best summarises this. “Science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.”

“On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit”
Ayrton Senna – three time Formula 1 Champion

Ross Bray, House Dean Franklin

From the House Dean of Hawking

Welcome to Term 2.
I hope you were all able to rest and recuperate over the holidays as Term 2 is action packed.

New House Ambassadors
This term, Hawking House welcomes two new Year 7 house ambassadors to the leadership group. Congratulations to Johan and Adam. Their applications were outstanding and really exemplified what it means to be a Hawking student. I am really looking forward to working with both Johan and Adam, as well as all the other leaders this term and throughout the remainder of 2023.

Events for Term 2
There are a number of 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:

Interhouse Mini Olympics (Week 3) – Every member of InStep will be given a plastic cup and they will have 30 seconds to flip it upright.
Hawking bake sale (Week 4) – After the large success of the bake sale last year, Hawking will be hosting another bake sale to raise money for the house charity – Eat Up who provide lunch to students who cannot afford it. Happy baking!
Athletics carnival (Week 6) – The athletics carnival will take place Tuesday 23 May. I’m looking forward seeing the house spirit and athletic talents of students in Hawking House.
Year 11 camp (Week 7) – Year 11 camp is away at Mapleton (Wednesday 31 May to Friday 2 June) and is sure to be an amazing adventure. This is a fabulous opportunity for students to really come together as a year level and forge lasting bonds they will last long after they leave QASMT.
Sustainability fashion show (Week 8) – All students will compete in their InStep classes to create sustainable fashion. I am looking forward to seeing their designs and skills on the runway.

Uniform
A reminder about uniform for Term 2. In addition to the standard expectation of uniform including hair and jewellery, students are required to wear their blazer to and from school, along with their school hats. Students have the option to wear their pullover or cardigan in addition to their blazer. Any students with incorrect uniform items should see me in my office before school starts for a uniform pass.

I am really looking forward to getting to know the students and families in the coming months. Should you have any questions, concerns, or need anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact me via email on rbrow477@eq.edu.au or via phone on extension 382.

I wish all Hawking students and parents the best for Term 2!

Rebecca Parker, House Dean Hawking

From the House Dean of Hollows

Welcome back to Term 2.
Once again it will be a busy term, full of activities, events, and competitions for us all to get involved in.

Congratulations Year 7 Ambassadors
It is my pleasure to welcome Raiyan and Zaira as incoming Year 7 house ambassadors to the Hollows hawks leadership team and I look forward to working with them for the rest of the year.

Congratulations to Marilyn for her appointment as a Year 7 art ambassador and to Nehuli for her appointment as a Year 7 sport ambassador. I am sure they will represent Hollows House proudly as they work with their portfolio teams.

Cross Country Winners are Grinners
Last Monday Oliver, Stela and Nethuli were presented with their winner’s medal from last term's Interhouse cross country carnival. Well done again you mighty Hollows athletes. I look forward to seeing you excel again in the athletics carnival in Week 6.

Upcoming House Events

Blazers and Hats - To and From School
A reminder that all students must ensure that they wear their blazer and hat to and from school each day in Term 2 and 3 as part of their responsibility to comply with the QASMT Uniform Policy. Students must report to House Deans to obtain a uniform pass if they do not have the correct uniform on any given day.

Reflections and Moving Forward
During Term 2 students must purposefully spend time reflecting on their endeavours and implement strategies for continuous improvement. Thank you to Prabha T for creating the below QASMT survival tips for students to reflect on their progress and move forward productively.

QASMT Top 5 Survival Tips:

Focus on the teacher feedback when you get an assessment back; it’s the guide to get improvement on the next assessment.
Do not be disheartened by lower marks; be optimistic and solutions focused.
Focus in class, don’t play games; take effective notes that can be easily revised.
Live a balanced lifestyle; make sure to have extra-curriculars or some down time at home that brings you joy, otherwise you will burn out very quickly.
Engage in activities enthusiastically and consider leadership opportunities; this will be of much help socially; you will learn new skills and make an impact to self and others.

Looking forward to a productive and successful Term 2 to close off Semester 1, 2023. Please direct any enquiries you may have regarding Hollows House to Mr Michael Colquhoun House Dean of Hollows a mjcol3@eq.edu.au

Michael Colquhoun, House Dean of Hollows

From the House Dean of Jackson

Welcome back to Term 2.

Community, participation and teamwork

A boy and a girl were playing together in the garden.

The boy told the girl that he had a beautiful collection of marbles. The girl was impressed and told the boy that she had a large collection of delicious homemade lollies.

After talking about their collections, the two decided that they would swap.

The girl went home and packed all the lollies she had in a box ready to give to the boy. She took some time to check her room because she had promised to give all her lollies to the boy.

The boy started to do the same but at the last minute decided to keep some of the most beautiful marbles secreted away under his bed. The boy brought the remaining marbles to swap with the girl.

Then both exchanged their collections and went home.

In preparing to write this article, I stumbled upon this story and was immediately taken by it. It is just a few lines long but dense with valuable life-truths. I am particularly interested in the parallels to community and participation.

Participation (or active engagement in a community) is a tough thing to measure and improve. Despite this, it is important that we discuss and think about what it means given that it was the reason we struggled in the house tally in Term 1, 2023.

Part of the reason participation is so hard to measure, and therefore improve, is because no one really knows the limit to which others are able to fully engage themselves in house activities. As with the story above, the girl was none the wiser about the boy reserving the best marbles for himself. It was likely the case that she slept soundly that night with the knowledge of having honourably swapped every last lolly she had for a beautiful collection of marbles.

The boy on the other hand, might not have slept so well. After all, the boy was well aware of what he had done. Only we, as individuals, know whether we have given our all. While this observation certainly relates to schoolwork, I am more focussed on its relevance to our achievements as a house.

We should feel proud of our contribution to the house community at the end of this term. I challenge you to be able to confidently say to yourself that you genuinely tried your best in service of the team. Some of the events coming up include:

Mini-Olympics: During this reprise of a Term 1 competition with the same name, we will once again compete with other houses from within our InSteps. This time however the location and activity have changed!
Athletics day: In the second half of the term, we will return to the University of Queensland to partake in a suite of track and field activities. This is a popular calendar event, one that provides the perfect opportunity for each of us to support our house and our Academy.
Sustainable fashion parade: The last house event for Term 2, involves designing, building, and displaying a piece of sustainable fashion. Expect a theme and some guidelines to be shared later in the term.

As you can see, there is a lot happening this term. Many teachers and students have worked hard, and are continuing to work hard, to provide these opportuniutes, but it is up to you to get engaged.

Good luck and have fun!

Samuel Weston, House Dean Jackson

From the House Dean of Newton

Welcome to the second term of the school year.
I hope you had a restful break and are excited for what lies ahead. I want to start by thanking our students for their hard work and dedication during the first term.

Moving ahead, students in Years 8 to 12 will complete their PLP reflections on Accelerus, based on the feedback provided by their subject teachers. The deadline for submission is Tuesday, 2 May. As such, I highly encourage all students to actively participate in this reflective goal-setting process, which is a crucial step towards becoming an IB learner. By setting specific and achievable goals, students can enhance their skills, knowledge, and personal growth. As Nelson Mandela once said, ‘The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.’ This quote highlights the importance of perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges. It reminds us that true success is not defined by perfection, but by the effort and determination to improve.

Year 7 Student Leaders and InStep Mentors
Congratulations to Matilda and Harshika on becoming Newton House ambassadors! It's also fantastic to hear that Virat, Loukya, Jasmie and Abbie have achieved other ambassador roles. It's great to see students taking on leadership roles and striving towards achieving their goals.

A big welcome to Arnold Appelholf and Kelly Dixon, the new InStep Mentors in INN02 and INN04. Their contributions to Newton House and the school community will no doubt be valuable and appreciated. Wishing all of them success in their respective roles and endeavours.

Student spotlight

Sophia (Year 12), and Loukya (Year 7), are to be applauded for being named as our Newton ‘Sharks of the Month’ for April. They received the most votes from our house staff and students for their excellent team spirit and friendly attitude.
Congratulations to Sara for winning the Year 10 girls age championship at the cross country event last term.
Well done to Mia in Year 10, for securing third-place position in her age group for the 100 m backstroke event at the 2023 Australian Swimming Championships held on the Gold Coast over the recent holidays.

ANZAC Day Commemoration Assembly report – Shruti, Service Captain
On Friday 21 April the Anzac Day commemoration assembly was held in the auditorium for the school community. It was a solemn and beautiful service to recognise all the Australian and New Zealand service men and women who have served in all conflicts, wars and peacekeeping operations.

Our staff and students wore fresh rosemary sprigs on their blazers to symbolise commemoration. Several special guests attended the service, including Lieutenant Andrea Lock as the guest speaker and Lieutenant Colonel George Hulse reciting the Ode. It was an honour to present and lead the service alongside Jocelyn, and I want to give my deepest thanks to all portfolio and Academy captains, Ms Newman, Ms Tyler, production, marketing, facilities teams, and especially the service committee, for their consistent help in making the service a special one. Lest we forget.

House Captains report – Daniela (Year 9) and Natasha (Year 12)
We had a successful first term, including coming SECOND in cross country. It would not have been possible without all the participation we had at the carnival - a big thank you to everyone involved! Other highlights from last term include the Harmony Week celebrations and our very successful house charity bake sale.

This term, we have a jam-packed schedule of exciting events, including the second game of the Mini Olympics in Week 3, our athletics carnival at UQ in Week 6, and the sustainable fashion parade in Week 8. Along with active participation, let us remember our house goals, with a spotlight on QASMT protocols for positive behaviour, wearing the correct uniform to and from school, and meeting the Academy’s punctuality and attendance targets every term.

A quote from Brian Tracy: ‘Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals.’ So, let's keep our eyes on the prize and make this second term just as great as the first.

GO NEWTON!

Deva Prasad, House Dean Newton

From the Guidance Officers

Katrina Judge,
Guidance Officer
(Career Planning)

Welcome back to Term 2!
This term, we will again have a number of opportunities for students to grow their knowledge of careers and build their career planning portfolio.

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.
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 (PEP), our middle years’ students are continuing to grow their understanding of themselves as individuals and society around them, developing a 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.

Year 10 only – University Opportunities
Early start programs allow students to trial a university subject while still in high school. Several universities now offer programs to students in Year 10. Some benefits:

Students may gain credit towards their university degree.
The first course is often free.
Students can prepare for and get a taste of university.
Students can gain QCE points.
Students receive adjustment factors for each course (conditions apply.)
Students can broaden their education: they will gain transferable skills to support their studies, like critical thinking, writing and research.
They can explore a subject they are interested in before committing to a full degree.
They can set themselves apart.

Programs currently available to Year 10 students include:
UniSC Headstart – available Semester 2
UniSQ Head Start – available Semester 2 & Semester 3 (summer holidays)

Students in Year 10 who are interested in accessing a university subject should consider their current workload and time commitments, ensuring there is no negative impact on their schooling. University classes must be scheduled outside of school time with online classes preferred. Applications should be submitted directly to the university.

Career Planning Resources and Events
UQ – Experience UQ Skills
Experience UQ Skills is a full day of hands-on, interactive workshops at UQ Gatton for Years 9-12 students considering vocational study in agriculture, animal care or rural operations (including VETiS, certificates, diplomas and traineeships).
Date: Thursday 6 July
Time: 9am – 3pm
Location: UQ Gatton campus
Find out more here

Bond University – Virtual Open Day
You are invited to experience Bond's deliberately different approach to learning at our 2-hour Virtual Open Day broadcast, streaming to you live on Saturday, 29 April from 2pm AEST.
Register here.

UCAT – Bookings close 17 May
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ) is an admissions test used by the UCAT ANZ Consortium of universities in Australia and New Zealand for their medical, dental and clinical science degree programmes. You can only sit UCAT ANZ in your final year of high school or higher.

UNSW Law Admission Test (LAT)
LAT is used for selection into UNSW Bachelor of Laws degrees. For students interested in studying law at UNSW, there will be an information evening on Wednesday 3 May. Visit the LAT website or contact UNSW for further information.

Southern Cross University (SCU) – early offers
SCU provides graduating high school students the opportunity to secure a place in a Southern Cross University degree before Year 12 results are released.
Applications now open here!

Federation University – early offers
Introducing GetIT – Guaranteed entry to Information Technology.
It's a guaranteed offer to study a Bachelor of Information Technology that students can receive within 24 hours of completing their application. Students do not have to include it in their QTAC preferences, and their place is guaranteed for semester 1 2024. View here to see the application page.

Study Work Grow – Early entry guide
Some universities and Tertiary Admissions Centres (TACs) have programs that allow students to apply earlier in Year 12 for certain courses. Students may receive a conditional or guaranteed offer, sometimes before even sitting final exams. Offers may be based on Year 11 or mid-Year 12 academic results, personal statements, leadership or community engagement. These offers are supplementary to the usual major round offers which will be released in January. Students with an early offer are still able to apply through the major offer rounds should they wish to upgrade to a different course. Each early offer program is unique to the applicable university with frequent changes depending on the environment and needs each year. Year 12 students are kept informed of current schemes applicable to their year and are encouraged to consider them in their planning.

Further information can be found on university websites or use our QASMT subscription (code “QASMT”) to log in here.

Contact
I am available at school Monday to Thursday, 8:00am-4:00pm for appointments, or can be contacted by email if I can answer any questions to support you.

Katrina Judge
Guidance Officer (Career Planning)

kjudg12@eq.edu.au

**Tara Le Pla,**
**Guidance Officer**
**(Student Wellbeing)**

Guidance Officer (Student Wellbeing)
Term 2 has begun!
The commencement ceremony was an exciting event with our Academy captains sharing all the events and opportunities they have planned for us this term. It is vital for student wellbeing that they are engaged in a number of activities; this helps create a balance between work and play and also develops relationships and connectedness. Connections matter. Strong ties with family, friends and the community provide us with happiness, security, support and a sense of purpose. Being connected to others is important for our mental and physical wellbeing and can be a protective factor against anxiety and depression.

Wellbeing Seminar Series – Parent and Community- Open Doors
To further support the wellbeing and brain health of our students and Academy community, we will continue our Wellbeing Seminar Series throughout 2023. These sessions will include two sessions for family and community through Terms 2 and 3.

Term 2
Open Doors – Chris Hansen will present to family and community in a face-to-face session at QASMT.

Term 3
HeadSpace – Georgia McGirvan will present to family and community virtually. Access links will be provided to registered participants.

There is no cost for either of these sessions.

Open Doors
Open Doors Youth Service provide support to young people with diverse genders, bodies and sexualities. They support young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, asexual, pansexual, sistergirl or brotherboy (LGBTIQAP+ Sistergirl and Brotherboy) aged 12-24 across Southeast Queensland. Open Doors values participation, respect, identity, diversity, and empowerment.

Open Doors’ vision is that all young people of diverse genders, bodies, sexualities and relationships will be connected to culturally and developmentally appropriate services. Open Doors provide individual, group-based, and family support to enhance connections to family, culture, and community.

Open Doors are based in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, but provide outreach in varying capacities. If you are located out of Southeast Queensland they can still try to provide support to link you to safe and inclusive services in your area.

Please peruse the Open Doors website for further information about their services here.

Open Doors - Parent and QASMT community session
Please register here to RSVP to the Open Doors session.
Monday 29 May 6:00-7:00pm in the Lecture Theatre.
Topics include:

Context for mental health of young LGBTIQ+
Understanding and using pronouns
Things you can do to help your child
About Open Doors youth service
Question time

Wellbeing Seminar Series - Student - Interoception
Emotional regulation is an ongoing challenge for young people (and many adults). A new online learning opportunity will be available this term to support students. Please look out for the Interoception course. This course will run from Weeks 5 to 10.

Details will be provided to students in Week 4 of the term with details on how to enrol.

Interoception is our eighth sense.

Interoceptive awareness can be broadly defined as the conscious perception of an internal bodily state; for example, one’s heart beating and breathing. These senses are related to emotional experiences. Awareness of both biological and emotional internal body cues are impacted in individuals who are affected by trauma, including intergenerational trauma, and neurodevelopmental disabilities including the autism spectrum (Schauder, Mash, Bryant, & Cascio, 2015, Mahler, 2016).

The benefits of teaching interoception.

To help children/students connect to and learn to understand their own bodies and emotions.
It is a pre‐requisite skill for self‐management and self‐ It provides children/students with the tools to know when they are developing emotional reactions and the skills to be in control of those reactions.
Without interoceptive awareness, social skills are just the application of rules and not a meaningful way of interacting. It enables students to develop a sense of belonging.
It decreases stress.
It can help manage anxiety.
It promotes caring and empathy.

I look forward to meeting you and your children at these events.
Have a wonderful term. Be kind to yourself and each other.

Tara le Pla, Guidance Officer (Student Wellbeing)

From Instrumental Music and Vocal music

In Term 2, there are various performance opportunities on offer for our Music Program students.

Our first Evening Concert for the year is on Thursday 18 May.
5:30pm – 7:00pm Strings and Choir (Allegro Strings, String Quartet, Vivace Strings, Bravura Strings, Chamber Strings, Choir)
7:30pm – 9:00pm Brass, Woodwind and Percussion (Percussion Ensemble I, Percussion Ensemble II, Red Jackets Jazz Combo, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Combo, Wind Orchestra, Big Band, Wind Orchestra)

We kicked off the term with an energetic performance by our String Quartet (Claire, Wendi, Eugene, Dami) on Commencement Assembly with an excerpt from a Beethoven String Quartet. Week 1 also saw our Choir perform at our ANZAC assembly as part of the official program.

On Monday 5 June, our Choir will be travelling to Kenmore SHS for Choral Fanfare with the morning program consisting of a number of schools around the area.

On Friday 9 June, many of our Music Program students are going to be featured at our annual Festival of Creativity.

In June, Music Program students are participating in the highly competitive Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University 2023 State Honours Ensemble Program: South-East Queensland. Congratulations to the following students who were successful in being offered a place:
Licia (Violin)
Beate (Viola)
Ethan (Clarinet)
Khang (Clarinet)
Matilda (Voice)
Ryan (Trombone)
Jasmie (Violin)
Elliott (Clarinet)
Lewis (Clarinet)
Linda (Flute)
Noah (Viola)
Kaya (Violin)

This term, a group of students are participating in the QSO Compose Project to compose a world premiere piece telling local stories with references to science and sustainability. Students will work alongside a mentor from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and will workshop the piece with our advanced orchestral players.

We look forward to seeing you at our Evening Concert in May.

Gregory Thompson, Instrumental Music Coordinator
gdtho0@eq.edu.au

Sustainability

The Sustainability Working Party is looking forward to an exciting term ahead. As you know the two major focus areas for QASMT are:

Single use plastic free
Carbon neutral

To support this, Term 2 will provide a number of opportunities for our community to share and celebrate the progress that we are making to achieve and maintain these targets.

Did you know that QASMT adopted a koala, Harvey, through the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary? Koalas are now listed as ENDANGERED along the east coast of Australia as a result of catastrophic fires, floods, disease and rampant deforestation.

Without stronger protection, koala populations are on a very slippery slope towards extinction by 2050 in eastern Australia.

Our adoption will help turn this tragedy around by protecting wild koalas against Chlamydia which is decimating populations. Through a vaccination program, upscaling the capacity of wildlife hospitals to ensure koalas can receive the care they need, and by protecting and restoring their forest homes, we can protect koalas.

International Compost Awareness Week
Our single-use plastic free goal has led to a decrease in the waste produced at the Academy and in combination with our five bin strategy, we are working towards much more sustainable waste strategies. Our green organic bin is used for all organic waste, and we are constantly working to improve our composting practices. The waste from the organic bins is deposited in our compost bins, which reduces the waste sent to landfill. Our aim is to use the wonderful compost around our beautiful school gardens.

We have a strong commitment to World Bee Day at the Academy. Our own wonderful bees produce delicious pure honey which is available for sale at the refectory. On Monday 22 May, we will have a display of our bees and some other fun activities to celebrate.

Week 8 is Sustainability Week!
There will be a wonderful array of activities including a STEM Seminar to kick off the week. Our fabulous annual sustainability fashion show will be on Thursday. Which house InStep will have the most creative, most sustainable outfit? Stay tuned to find out who wins this year.

From Corporate Services

This term the school communications team has begun working with the enthusiastic journalism students on the 2023 Yearbook. The Yearbook is an all year project and we are excited to see what the students will produce.

As always we love to hear what our QASMT Graduates are doing. Reach out and let us know. We would love to hear your story or for you to join our SMT Alumni group on LinkedIn.

The School Communications 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 q
School Communications Team - Sigrid Parker, Chelsea Hardman-Denning and Pat Butler