Newsletter Term 4 2020
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Newsletter Term 4 2020 Term 1 Date Claimers Principal’s Report Warm greetings to you all, Term 1 Dates 27/01/21 - 01/04/21 As we end our school year Orientation Week 27/01 – 29/01/21 please pause, take breath, and reflect on 2020. Our students Australia Day Public have proven their resilience and Holiday 26/01/21 fortitude during these difficult times. Our staff, as essential P&C Meeting 08/02/21 workers, have demonstrated 15/03/21 (AGM) their commitment to our students and families during this Let’s Connect challenging piece of history. Tablelands 02/03 – 03/03/21 Cairns 04/03 – 05/03/21 At the beginning of the year Australia was in the grip of Online 04/03 – 05/03/21 raging bushfires and a number of our families were directly affected. Then came the pandemic and this Music Camp 22/03 – 23/03/21 fundamentally changed our way of life. All of Australia’s students joined the online learning world, some for the STEAM Camp 25/03 – 26/03/21 first time. Parents were also thrust into the role of home tutor. Suddenly people became acutely aware of the Good Friday complexities of teaching their children at home. Public Holiday 02/04/21 Throughout all of this we continued our support and connections as strong as we possible could. We dearly missed seeing our students and families in face-to-face activities. Our Cairns to Karumba bike ride was cancelled. Our P&C Association’s ability to fundraise was curtailed. New ways of raising money were implemented. We provided services to our students, over 140 partner schools and we assisted another 30+ schools who asked for our assistance. We are proud of what our students, families and staff do each and every day. 2020’s major success stories include: Full implementation of the New QCE/QCIA system Creating innovative ways to connect our students through online camps Updating of learning programs to Version 8 of the Australian Curriculum. I take this opportunity to thank our energetic and I also look forward to collaboratively developing our dedicated P&C. in particular our Executive team of school’s new vision for the next 4-5 years with you. And Judith Eriksen, Juanita Saal and Melissa Fitzgerald for of course we have the Cairns to Karumba Bike ride to their insightful and passionate leadership. I encourage look forward to in June-July next year. Start training now all of you to join this wonderful team. team Next year we look forward to improving our work in the Finally I wish you all the very best for the summer following areas: holidays (and if you believe in the fat man wearing the Implementing quality teaching and learning red suit, I hope he brings you what you wish for!) programs through QLearn, our new Learning My wish, is peace and good health to you all. Management System Engaging our students through quality Kind regards, feedback Providing viable pathways to our students Andrew Oliver through QCE, QCIA, ATAR, further training or Principal employment. Parent Liaison Officer Welcome Crystal! New Parent Liaison Officer Hello! My name is Crystal Stanley and I have started in the Parent Liaison Office role here at Cairns SDE. I grew up in Mackay, Cairns and the Tablelands, but was living in Toowoomba for the last 8 years. I have recently moved back to Cairns with my partner and our two crazy, but wonderful kids. Isabella is 6 and will be off to Year 2 next year, and Beau will is 4 and will be starting Prep. I have a great respect for anyone who gives teaching their kids from home a go and especially those that have been doing it for many years. I have a very interesting background and look forward to getting to know as many parents as possible and helping where I can. Feel free to ask me any questions by contacting me on (07) 4080 9208 for a chat. Take care, talk soon! Student News BLA Junior Literary Competition Year 7 Articles A big congratulations to Year 7 students (Tyson and Aidan) give opposing Amber (Year 7) who placed viewpoints on whether Ned Kelly was a hero or a villain. 3rd in the BLA EQ Junior (7- 8) Literary Competition! This Noble Ned by Tyson (Year 7) contest is designed to Ned Kelly is a hero, if you think otherwise you’re wrong! encourage literary The police were always accusing him, and his family, for development for learners crimes. There wasn’t much of a chance for him to be across all high school sectors in the region. Students accepted into society at all. What made this worse, was were required to write a short story. Well done Amber! the fact that the rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. Ned’s dad had already gained a A Boy in a Dress by Amber (Year 7) bad reputation, which shadowed Ned his whole life. The Packing my room I came across my old skating medals. police abused their power to do whatever they wanted Suddenly I was transported back to 2017 when I was a to his poor family; this was shown in the Fitzpatrick 9 year old boy full of anxiety, depression and a dream incident. When his mother was jailed, he’d had enough. to compete in a roller-skating competition as myself. He knew that the way the authorities treated his family, I remember how I thought my heart would explode out and countless other families, was unfair. He was going of my chest when I heard my name announced. I looked to put an end to these injustices… and so he did! towards the rows of seats, long wooden benches, and People think Ned was a bad person because he stole saw my family and friends cheering and clapping yelling and murdered, but that’s just not the truth. Ned stole my name ‘go Nate go Nate!!’ but I also saw some people from the authorities, who were bathing in money, and shake their heads and whisper. I was a boy in a girls gave to the people who needed it most. Ned very rarely dress. stole from the poor, but when he did, he returned it - he knew what it felt like to be in that position. I was used to seeing people whisper, point and laugh at I believe the murder was for self-defence, not to mention me but still I remembered how much it hurt. My free defending his 2 best mates and his brother. Everyone skate music started and I instinctively glided across the blames Ned for the shootout but what about the police? smooth polished wooden floor just as I had been What do you reckon they were coming to do? I’ll give practising for months. My light blue sparkly dress you a hint… capture and execute! Now, I ask you this; twinkled under the lights which were as bright as a full if Ned were trying to kill everyone, why had one of the moon, as I twirled and jumped praying, I wouldn’t officers escaped? He was a sitting duck! The man was stumble. on top of a horse, he wore very little armour and the Kelly’s had impeccable aim from living in the bush for so The music faded as I finished my routine. I couldn’t long, yet he still escaped. One of the men was in such believe I had done it! I had managed to perform without a bad way from the shootout that Ned decided to put vomiting or crying like I thought I would. As it came time him out of his misery. Even after they were coming to for the presentation I skated to the area and nervously murder him, Ned was still kind. I know what you’re sat down. I never dreamed I would place until I heard thinking “he murdered him, that’s not kind!” However, my name for 1st announced over the loudspeaker ‘and the fact is, if Ned had not killed this man, he would have first place goes to Nate Blythe’. I remember feeling slowly perished in the bush. Then while trying to get dumbfounded and amazed that I had won as I stood up back home while badly injured, this man would have to receive my gold medal. Those high-fives and hugs, been thinking of his family losing him, imagining their gripping me tight, from my teammates, coach and family, sadness when they hear the news of his death while he made me feel a million dollars. got torn up by a hungry animal - I know which of these I had won the battle against my anxiety, I felt like I was options I would prefer! on top of the world! It was after Ned’s death that he made the most change! Those awful officers got what they wanted and had Ned A couple of months later I had to leave skating behind hung! They thought they’d won this round, however, but I never forgot how much it meant to me and what I little did they know their wrongdoing was about to come achieved. Today as a 12 year old girl I often think about back and bite them on the bum. The Royal Commission that scared little boy riddled with anxiety and how much soon heard the news of the Police Force killing Ned courage and bravery he showed. I am proud to say that (despite the petition raised by Ned’s 32,000 was me.