Newsletter

Dear Parent and Caregivers

I hope this newsletter finds you all well and taking care of each other. As I sit and write my article I cannot help but feel strange. Strange, because I am normally writing for our school newsletter with the sounds of our students’ and teachers’ voices and laughter in the corridors and grounds. I, like all our staff have truly missed those sounds this week.   

Term 2 2020

I know many of you have questions regarding how Term 2 will look if students are not required to attend their local schools on 20 April 2020 and home schooling is commenced.  How will learning look for your child/children?  What format will it be? How will students and their families be supported to learn? And many more….  To keep you informed I have written a letter to all families.  I am hoping the information included goes someway to answering many of your questions. Please remember these are changing times and information to our schools from the Queensland Government changes every day in response to the ongoing situation.   The letter is attached below and will be placed in the end of term mail out and emailed out. (Apologies as you will receive it more than once, but we did not want to miss any of our families.)

New Online Newsletter

Though the last few weeks have been challenging our school staff wanted this newsletter to be one that shares the amazing academic, sporting and community learning and engagement that our students have undertaken. It was decided that our first new online newsletter (Which you will be provided with instruction on the ‘how to’ to access by phone and on our webpage.) should be a walk down “Term 1 Memory Lane”. Many thanks to Mrs Hardy for her amazing work setting up our new SkoolBAG App. This App will not only house our Miles SHS newsletter but will grow to be a great future communication tool with the school on your phone.

Heartfelt Thanks

Many thanks to our students and their families this term for your valuing of education and amazing ongoing support to students and staff.   This ‘Partnership in Learning’ contributes to the success, achievement and wellbeing of both your child and others in our school.  I must take this opportunity to thank all our staff.  Our non-teaching staff for providing a welcoming, safe, clean, environment for our school community. To the teachers who have worked non-stop teaching, reporting and planning for learning next term in what-ever delivery form is needed. Their commitment to ensuring that when they plan the needs of every individual student in at the forefront of their minds is truly inspiring. To the leadership team Mr Spain, Mr Hardy, Mr Kuhl, Ms Bates and Ms Buhse for working beside me as we lead and support our whole school community through these challenging times to continue learning. We have such a knowledgeable and driven school staff, engaged student body and parent/caregivers, an active P&C led by their energetic President Polly Leahy, and a supportive wider school community. I am confident we are well placed to continue to support our students to prepare for their futures.

Please stay safe and take care of each other.

Happy Easter to all. 

Josette

To all Miles State High School students – WELL DONE!!! You have shown great resilience and determination throughout this term. The beginning of the year seems a distance memory to many of us with the current crisis taking priority in our minds. I’d like to use this opportunity to reflect on the term and highlight the amazing opportunities students have had and the incredible successes we have had as a school. There are so many great memories and stories to be told from this term, and I ask that you hold onto these memories as we head into our Easter break.

At the end of last year Miles State High School began to introduce a number of online platforms to support and increase student access to learning materials, and communication between students and teachers. Microsoft Onenote Class Notebooks is an application that allows students to access (from anywhere at any time) lesson instructions, resources, and to collaborate with other students and teachers in various spaces. Education Perfect is another online application that was introduced at the end of 2019 as a trial, which lead to MSHS investing in this application for a whole school rollout (and we are grateful now that we made this decision). Education Perfect (or EP as it’s affectionately known as) provides endless online learning materials which have been designed to support our curriculum, as well as allowing staff to build their own learning materials for students to complete. In turn, this provides real time feedback, progress checking, and engagement in student learning.

Our staff (Teachers and Support staff) are to be commended on their efforts and dedication this year. Not only were they planning and preparing for a year without COVID-19, now they are really showing their passion, determination, and courage as they plan for an unfamiliar and unprecedented change to how education is delivered and supported. Our teachers have spent many sessions together over the last three weeks in professional development and sharing ICT skills in preparation for next term. Our admin and support staff have stepped up to the challenges that have presented with each change as we respond to this crisis. Our cleaners need a special mention as they have increased their shifts, adopted new processes and practices, and have ensured that our school is safe with the highest levels of hygiene. Our IT Technician, Mr Dan Vagg, has played an instrumental part of our preparations for possible online delivery through the creation of student Sharepoint Portal, software support and many password resets. Thank you!

This week student report cards will be sent home, along with various information on how to access our new e-newsletter (this newsletter), and the recommencement of schooling in Term 2. I hope you enjoy the new format of our newsletter and find it easy to join up to. Attached below are the instructions on how to access Skoolbag on you smartphone.

During the Easter break, I expect that our students follow the Queensland Governments advice and remain safe at all times. I am sure that during this time students will show their families how they demonstrate our RISE values at school, as these values are based on those of a strong and supportive community – RESPECT – INTERITY – SAFETY – ENGAGE.

Look forward to seeing you next term.              

Kind Regards,

Ashley Spain

Experience Sporting Success

The Annual Swimming Carnival took place on Monday 3rd, February, 2020.  A great day was had by all.  

Experience a Safe Supportive Community

On Thursday 6th February Miles SHS opened its doors to parents and families for a Meet and Greet Afternoon.  Prior to the heavens opening up with some much needed rain, everyone enjoyed a friendly chat, tours of the school facilities and a delicious BBQ.

Experience your future

Miles State High School hosted representatives from QMEA and Origin to provide students from Miles State High School and Chinchilla State High School in a QMEA Workshop where they engaged with STEM activities including coding, as well as being exposed to the various STEM professions involved in the industry.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Last week students in the Certificate II Rural Operations class participated in their first practical competency with our TAFE Assessor. Over the duration of two days, students completed multiple competencies in the correct and safe use of motorbikes, quads and chemicals.

In the afternoons, students completed the theoretical component of these units. Overall an enjoyable two days was had by everyone involved. Students should be commended on their behaviour and attitudes over the two days. Everyone was willing to give all activities a go in a safe manner.

Kind regards,

Samantha Clayton