Our Year 7s returned from their first High School camp on Wednesday, 10 March, after an amazing three days at QCCC Mapleton on the Sunshine Coast. The action-packed camp program involved adventurous challenges that increased the students' self-confidence and helped them create and develop stronger friendships for their High School journey ahead.
Our Year 11s also returned from their camp on Wednesday, 10 March, after spending three days on the picturesque shores of Lake Ainsworth, at the Recreation Centre in Lennox Head. The boys and girls headed in different directions for their camps and bonded with their peers through ‘Survivor-style' team challenges and other sea and sand-based activities, and during the time devoted to connecting with God and each other.
Throughout Term 1, Year 3 students have been learning about the ‘Land Down Under’ by investigating Australia's States and Territories. They have used their research skills to discover facts about some of the fascinating natural and man-made landmarks around our wonderful nation, and have posed suggestions about how they can be responsible citizens and protect some of these unique creations. As part of this unit, students worked in groups to create a 3D diorama of their State, including the flag, flora and fauna emblems, and constructed a persuasive writing piece about why Australia is a great place to visit. As a result, many future holidays have been planned as our students have envisioned being able to personally visit some of their favourite geographic discoveries.
This week, the Year 2 classes took part in an investigation on Measuring Mass during mathematics using a real-life situation.
The Scenario
The school principal is planning to buy some new shelving for your classroom. Before she goes to the hardware shop, she needs to be sure that the shelves she chooses will be strong enough to hold your classroom equipment. She has asked your class to measure the mass of some of your classroom items. Unfortunately, your classroom measuring equipment has been lost! As a result, you will have to find another way to measure the mass of these objects.
Students worked in groups to choose informal units of measure, find five appropriate objects that could be put on a shelf and record these. They then estimated the mass of each object using informal units and used an equal arm balance to measure and then record the mass. Students used this information to order and compare their five items. It was wonderful to see the students working together to solve the problems, and having fun as they did so.
The annual South Coast Regional Swimming Championships were held on Monday, 1 March, at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre. King's had 23 swimmers competing in this meet, representing the Hinterland District in their selected events. Of the 23 swimmers from our College, 18 were selected to represent the South Coast Region at the Queensland State Swimming Titles in Brisbane next week.
Congratulations to all participants, and best of luck to these elite King's swimmers who will represent their Region at the Queensland State Swimming Championships:
| Louis Bebb | Year 12 Spencer Bebb | Year 7 Charlie Beech | Year 12 Jesse Coleman | Year 11 Brandan Crawford | Year 10 Charlize De Chhimba | Year 5 Jada de Gelder | Year 7 Jamie Doran | Year 9 Sebastine Du preez | Year 11 | Millie Entwistle | Year 12 Ciara Fay | Year 10 Charlotte Gavenlock | Year 7 Amelia Hart | Year 6 Ethan McCullough | Year 9 Jessica Melo | Year 6 Jade Sneesby | Year 12 Maximus Truman | Year 6 Maya Zunker | Year 7 |
With a busy end of Term 1 upon us in High School, it is important for parents to be aware of the various assessment requirements for students:
| Years 10-12
All Year 10-12 students should be busy completing assessment items and/or studying for their exams held in Exam Block (Weeks 8-9). Exam timetables are available on each student year level page on Compass. All students need to be aware of the date, room and time of their scheduled exam. During Exam Block students only have to attend school for scheduled exams or study sessions. Students who are absent for an exam will need to provide a medical certificate and go to the High School Office upon return to school to book in for a new time for their examination. All other assessment tasks are due via Compass by 11:59pm on the due date. Teachers may also require a hard copy to be submitted during class time. Students who are applying for an extension will need to arrange this before the due date by getting an extension form from Compass or the High School Office and submitting supporting evidence, such as a medical certificate. An extension will not be granted if not arranged before the due date. |
| Year 12
A reminder that all Year 12 students on an ATAR pathway must pass an English subject for Unit 3 and 4 to attain an ATAR. This can be achieved in English, English as an Additional Language or Essential English. |
| Year 11
In the QCE unit, credits are banked into each student’s learning account at the end of each unit. The implication for this is that students who are not engaged in learning and perform poorly in a number of subjects could find themselves ineligible for the QCE as early as Week 5 of Term 2. Students have been repeatedly reminded of this and will need to ensure that they are actively engaged in all classes at all times. |
| Year 10
The Exam Block for Year 10 has concluded for the term. We would like to congratulate this cohort on how they conducted themselves during the exams. Assessment items are still being submitted so the expectation is that these senior students are still working hard in class and at home. |
Changes to High School Reports
Reports are going to look different this year in High School as we further embrace the continuous reporting capabilities of Compass. This enables us to give more timely feedback on your child’s learning achievement and progress. Parents will receive an email during the school holidays inviting them to go to Compass to view their child’s academic achievements and academic mindsets.
| Years 7 - 10 Continuous Reporting - assessment results and academic mindsets for Term 1 will be made available for each subject. As per Australian Curriculum requirements, results in each subject will be expressed as a letter grade. |
| Years 11 & 12 End of Unit Academic Report - this is a summary of your child’s academic and behavioural achievement in both Term 4 2020 and Term 1 2021. Results are expressed in percentages for General subjects and letter grades for Applied subjects. |
| Partnership Evening We invite you to follow up on your child’s reports by joining us via Zoom for our Partnership Evenings on Tuesday 20 April and Wednesday 21 April to discuss your child’s progress. When reports are ready to view, parents will be emailed a link to Parent Portal which will also include the option to book a Zoom timeslot that best suits your family. |
Homework is an important aspect of developing a student’s ability to apply themselves and succeed academically. Here is a general guide to the amount of time your High School student should be spending on their homework:
| Year 7 | 45 minutes - 1 hour per night |
| Years 8 - 9 | 1 - 1.5 hours per night |
| Year 10 | 1.5 hours per night |
| Years 11 - 12 | 2 hours per night |
Yes. As the term progresses, students will need to spend increasing amounts of time at home on their assignments. Class time is allocated, but most assessment items will also require additional time. Teachers often dedicate some lesson time to help students prepare for an assignment or exam, but if they waste time in class, students will need to spend more time finishing their work at home and the extra stress is self-imposed.
Procrastinating at home is also not successful. Students should position themselves in a quiet area, free from distraction (including devices). Even a short amount of time can be very productive when one is fully focused
Jonathan Yang graduated from King's last year with a near-perfect ATAR of 99.30 and he was happy to share his successful study techniques in the hope of helping current King's students to achieve their best.
Elevate Education work with our High School students throughout the year to deliver impactful workshops on study skills, motivation, wellbeing and exam preparation. King's parents have free access to Elevate Education’s Parent Webinar Series for Term 1, 2021 which will help you learn ways to better support your children at home as you reinforce the skills they learn at school. If you missed their last webinar on the important topic of Technology: Setting Boundaries and Promoting Self-Regulation with Teens, you can view this via the button below until Tuesday, 23 March.
The next webinar is focussing on Note Taking - Helping your teen create succinct and meaningful notes for revision. This live webinar will take place on Wednesday, 24 March from 6pm - 7pm. Registration is free for King's parents but you must complete the registration link via the button below to participate.
Join the next webinar: NOTE TAKING
NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy - essential skills that each child needs to succeed in school and life. The NAPLAN tests are designed to help us make sure students are on track in their literacy and numeracy development. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in NAPLAN tests for reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
In just over one weeks' time, from 11 - 13 May, 2021, our school will participate in these national examinations. NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows you to see how your child is progressing in literacy and numeracy, against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. For our teachers, NAPLAN provides additional information to support professional judgement and student progress, learning and additional areas for future focus. The College will continue to sit paper-copy examinations this year but will shift to online testing in 2022.
All students in the relevant year levels are expected to participate in NAPLAN. However, if you have a philosophical objection to NAPLAN and decide it is in your child’s best interest not to participate, as you believe your child may suffer excessive stress or other adverse effects, then you have the right as a parent to withdraw your child.
If you wish to discuss your child not participating, please email the relevant staff member:
| Primary | Jason Knight |
| Secondary | Jackie Middleton |
Thank you to those who were able to join us for the inaugural Compass app webinar on Monday, 8 March. It was great to be able to share some top tips for parents regarding our new and improved app.
The response from parents who have recently learned to sync the College calendar with their iPhone/ Android calendar is that it so helpful being able to see all of their relevant King's events on their own personal calendar. 'It has saved me so much time and means I can be more organised with all of my children' school activities,' one parent commented. The College calendar that appears on your digital calendar is personalised to your relevant year levels, and automatically updates King's events in your calendar if any dates or details change. Syncing your King's Calendar on your phone is fairly simple and you can follow the step-by-step instructions here.
You may remember that King's consulted parents about our College 'Compass' app in October last year, as a way to help us build a better app experience for College families. Using your valuable feedback, we upgraded the app at the start of the 2021 school year.
Please complete our survey about the New Compass App before Friday, 26 March, for your chance to win a new King's softshell jacket - available from the Uniform Shop very soon!
Compass Survey Link View the Compass Help Centre for more tips
The Creative Edge Training Salon is based at King's Trade Training College on our Reedy Creek campus, and offers a range of low-cost barbering, and hair and beauty services with their training students. The Salon is currently offering 50% off men's hair cuts and beard trims to all King's parents and staff, until the end of April.
| Men's Haircut | $7.50 (50% off) | Normally $15 |
| Beard Trims | $7.50 (50% off) | Normally $15 |
| Face Shaves | $7.50 (50% off) | Normally $15 |
BOOKINGS
These discounted appointments are only available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, from 9.30am - 2.00pm (closed for Easter on Tuesday 6 - Wednesday, 7 April).
Phone: 07 5587 7676 to book and please mention the special.
Visit the Creative Edge Training Salon websiteKing's Outside School Hours Care (KOSHC) are now taking Vacation Care bookings for the upcoming September school holidays. KOSHC is run from their centre near the King's Church auditorium and they have another exciting program coming up including Lego Masters, a Camp Out, Ultimate Tag, plus excursions to Inflatable World, Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Putt Putt and so much more! Noah's Ark also run a Vacation Care program for students in Prep - Year 2. Find out more via the button below.
| Vacation Care | Friday, 17 Sept - Friday, 1 October (inclusive) Monday, 4 October is closed for the Public Holiday Places are limited so please book via the method below |
| Age range | Prep - Year 6 students (and above) |
| Cost | $60 ($80 on excursion days) |
| Bookings | Login to complete the KOSHC Booking Form, or email reedycreek@koshc.net.au |
T: (07) 5593 4233
E: reedycreek@koshc.net.au
W: koshc.net.au
BOOKING DATES
Please note that the lock-in date is Friday, 10 September, and all bookings after this date are locked in. A $10 per child, per day cancellation fee will apply for any cancellations after the lock in date.
View the links below to find out more about current school-based traineeships available for Year 10 and 11 students:
| MEGT Australian Apprenticeship Support Network Career Hub vacancies. This Career Hub site has many tools and information for potential apprentices and trainees. |
| Reece Group - Positions are currently available for Year 11 students to partake in a Certificate II in Warehousing Operations (TLI20419) at the following stores (click location to apply): Reece Bundall | Reece Mermaid Beach |
| Gold Coast Navy Day (click to register) Meet Officers and experience some of the operations and equipment that help protect Australia's open waters, while learning about the exciting roles available. Try the immersive VR kit — an interactive experience where you can jump out of a helicopter then tour a Navy Submarine. Location: Mermaid Beach Community Centre, 2439 Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach | Saturday 27 March, 2021 | Choose an hour session from 11am – 4pm |
More information on Australian Airforce Cadets can be found on the website www.aafc.org.au.
Australian National University's Tuckwell Scholarship Program is one of the most transformational undergraduate scholarship programs in Australia, offering 25 talented school-leavers an opportunity to study at ANU. Scholars are selected on the basis of intellect, character, leadership, and their commitment to Australia.
To apply for a Tuckwell Scholarship, students must:
The ANU Direct Application asks applicants if they wish to apply for a Tuckwell Scholarship. Tick 'yes' if you wish to apply, and within one business day of submitting the ANU Direct Application, you will be emailed the Tuckwell Scholarship Stage 1 Application Form to complete. Students should apply ASAP to avoid disappointment.
For more information: https://tuckwell.anu.edu.au
| Trades & Careers Expo See Mrs Lubbe (Future Pathways Officer) for more information | Wednesday, 21 April | 11am start |
| Gold Coast Careers Festival | Thursday, 6 May - Saturday, 8 May | 9am - 3pm |
The 'Where to Next' Hub is available on CareersEvent.com, and provides an informative Careers Hub for senior students and their parents. Visit the hub for access to tertiary webinars, upcoming events and the latest news on careers and courses.
For a full list of events or to register for the King's Careers Newsletter, visit King’s College Careers.
Did you know that King's have a range of vibrant Instagram accounts showcasing many exciting aspects of our school life? We have pages for our art and sports departments and our central College page: @kings_christian_college. We'd love you to follow us to support our students and see what's happening behind the scenes at King's...
