Mount St Bernard College eNewsletter

Principal

An Easter Prayer

As Term 1 draws to a close, it is important to remember the significance of Easter. Archbishop Christopher Prowes reminds us that one of the last statements Jesus made on the Calvary Cross was, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23/24).” It is really important for us all to reflect on these words and remember the importance of forgiveness. This is one of the greatest lessons of Good Friday. The first words of the Risen Lord Jesus were “Peace be with you (Luke 24/36).” We need to remind ourselves that peace was the first gift to us from our healing God. Over the Easter celebrations, let us all remember to welcome the gift of forgiveness and the healing of peace. As Catholics this is a special time of the year for us to reflect on the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus and an opportunity to reflect spiritually.

Term 1 Reflection

I’d like to thank all the students, staff, families and community members for making me feel so welcome at Mount St Bernard College. It is a very special place to work and the opportunity to lead and serve in this community is very humbling. Term 1 has been filled with so many inspirational moments, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to stop and reflect.

The Year 7s have transitioned into the College and celebrated the end of the term with their Year 7 Camp at Mungalli Falls. The experiences and stories from this camp will stay with the students forever. I had the pleasure of joining the Year 7s on the second evening of their camp and valued their sharing of stories about abseiling down the waterfall, archery sessions, raft building and the flying fox. The student took time to make new friends and get to know the staff better. Thank you to the staff who attend the camp with the students, you created an action packed program that the students thoroughly enjoyed.

One of the final community events of the term was the annual swimming carnival at Atherton Pool. Thank you to the families who were able to join us for the day. It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time as a community watching the immense sporting talents of all our students. With some fierce competition from Flynn, Power and Rush it was wonderful seeing all students getting involved and having a fun day.

The Annual Cross Country was another fabulous school community event. I was incredibly impressed by our runners, who made some incredibly impressive times on a hot Herberton Day. Power won the cheer off at the end of the day in what was a very close chanting competition. Special thanks to Andrea Goetze for her organisation of this event and to all the staff who assisted with duties on the day.

Community has been something I have really admired at the College this term and the Term 1 Disco was another example of our students and staff coming together for a fun filled evening. There were some very impressive dance moves and profits raised from the canteen were donated to Caritas Australia. Thank you also to all the students who stayed around at the end of the evening to clean up Mercy Hall.

Across each year level, students have been participating in a range of learning activities. In the Performing and Visual Arts, Year 9 students have been working diligently to create art work using paints, pens, water colour pencils/paints and oil pastels to create a NAIDOC Poster. Our Senior Students had the pleasure of participating in the JCU Careers in Health Breakfast, whilst a small group of Year 10 girls happily represented me at the International Women’s Day Breakfast. We also had our School Captains Sinevah Mari and Griffin Johns participate in the Defence Force Army Reserves Careers session in Cairns, where they participated in a range of activities that Army Reservists participate in. Year 8 English students designed a Harmony Day wall in honour of Harmony Day, highlighting the importance of MSB celebrating and respecting multiculturalism in Australia. Whilst our Industrial Technology and Design students have been working very hard building an array of projects. Their talent with wood and metal work astounds me and I have been so impressed with their sheer talent.

The Mercy Sisters have strong beliefs in providing outreach to those in need so it was wonderful to see our Senior Students engage in the Rosies- Friends on the Street Program. Seniors will have opportunities throughout the year to participate in this valuable community program. Thanks to Janet Wigan for coordinating the MSB Rosies Team.

Thank you also to Kenny O’Brien for accompanying Yasserie Kyle-Smith, Limferd Lui, Tony Harry, Lahsade Sailor-Mosby and Beau Hart on the Indigenous Leaders of Tomorrow camp at Holloways Beach. This inter-school leadership program assisted our students to refine their leadership skills and build relationships. We look forward to the continued leadership from these young men.

Introduction of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

Multi-tiered Systems of Support-Engagement (MTSS-E) is a framework that provides schools with the systems and practices to support students and improve student engagement outcomes. It is a positive and proactive approach that uses evidence-based practices, including developing clear behavioural expectations, teaching these expectations, acknowledging appropriate behaviour, consistently correcting inappropriate behaviour and using data to systematically solve problems.

The Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns has partnered with Dr Shiralee Poed, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland in the School of Education to work closely with schools to establish a continuum of supports (universal, targeted, personalised) that meets the diverse needs of all students, as per diagram below.

During Term 1 staff have been developing understanding of the MTSS in anticipation of its implementation with students in Term 2. If you want to know more about MTSS-E, please contact the Principal or Catholic Education Services.

Staff Farewells and Welcomes

At the completion of Term 1, we farewell our Business Manager, Warren Thomson and Mathematics/Science Teacher Arjun Handa. I’d like to personally thank both Warren and Arjun for their contributions to MSB and wish them both well for the future. As these two staff depart, we welcome:

Debby Small – Maths/Science Teacher
Bruce Douglas – Maintenance/Grounds
Boarding Supervisors – Angela Cerchi, Kales Billy, Rebecca Stevens, Murray Hanrahan
Maria McGinnity– Maths, Science, Religious Education and Relief Teaching

As we end the term, we remember the works of Sister Catherine McAuley:

Enjoy the Term 1 break and I look forward to our College community returned refreshed for Term 2.

Narelle Hunt - Principal

Deputy Principal Curriculum & Admin

Term 1 has passed so quickly, assessment tasks have been finalised and teachers are preparing the Term 1 progress reports to be uploaded to the Parent Portal at the end of this week.

Parent Teacher interviews will be held Tuesday, 2 May 2022 (week 3 Term 2) from 3.30-6.00pm. A 10-minute interview with your child’s teacher shows your child that you’re interested in their learning and what’s happening for them at school. You can learn so much about your child’s progress by meeting with their teacher/s for 10 minutes a semester. At MSB we understand it’s not always possible or convenient to attend in-person, phone interviews can also be arranged.

Information on how to book using Parent Teacher Online (PTO) has been sent out via email for most and by post for those without email.

Kieran Ryan - Deputy Principal Curriculum & Administration

Parent Portal Invitation MSB

PTO - Parent Teacher Online Booking Sign in

Deputy Principal Residential

Dear Parents and Friends of MSB,

This term has shown an increase in the number of students presenting with signs of depression. Even though our boarding staff are not experts in the field of mental health, we endeavour to triage all concerns that may present. All serious concerns regarding mental health are presented to our college counsellor Ms Kayleigh Smith. Ms Smith works alongside residential staff to ensure that appropriate support and care is provided. Parents and families are always informed when students are struggling with issues surrounding mental health. Sometimes students will require a care plan or safety plan to support their wellbeing. Supporting students with depression can sometimes be stressful, overwhelming and isolating. Here is some information that may be useful to help you understand what your child is going through.

In Australia, depression is commonly described as a feeling of sadness. People who are depressed experience an extended period of sadness or a negative mood, rather than a brief reaction of sadness to a stressful situation or a difficult situation. In a depressed state, the brain and body do not function as well as they do in non-depressed state. Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions. It is reported that over 3 million people in Australia are reported to be living with depression. Many of our First Nations young people describe symptoms of depression as feeling ‘slack’.

Symptoms of Depression include:

Sad or irritable mood
Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
Unplanned weight loss
Insomnia or hypersomnia
Reduced energy and lethargy
Feelings of guilt or negative self-talk
Indecisiveness
Thoughts of death or suicide

What causes depression:

Stressful and challenging circumstances including disease, loss of a loved one or relationship issues
Personality and genetic vulnerabilities
Childhood trauma
Biochemistry imbalance
Poor nutrition

How to help a loved one:

The best way to help someone experiencing a mental health challenge or illness is to offer a listening ear and let them know you are there for them. Often, we have a strong desire to fix or solve someone else’s problem, however this is not your role and should be left to a professional. The best thing you can do is help them find an appropriate service through a GP, mental health phone line, mental health service or searching online for a nearby agency.

Please take time to visit the websites listed below if you are supporting a young person with depression:

https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

https://www.beyondblue.org.au

https://www.lifeline.org.au

https://headspace.org.au

https://kidshelpline.com.au/

Scott Whitters - Deputy Principal Residential

Assistant Principal Mission

As we come to the end of Term 1, we also come to the end of the liturgical season of Lent. This coming Sunday, Palm Sunday or Passion Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week - the most important week in the Church’s Year. During this week the church remembers the last days of Jesus’ life, His death and resurrection.

At MSB we commemorated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, His arrest, trial and crucifixion with a re-enactment liturgy. We will celebrate the joy of the Resurrection in Term 2, as the Easter Season lasts for 50 days.

Our students and staff continue to embrace the Mercy charism and demonstrate their commitment to helping members of our human family who are most in need by supporting Project Compassion. The Year 11 Religion and Ethics students have been the driving force behind our fundraising this year. They have planned, promoted and run a variety of activities. We made so much money that we added a tree (representing $500 for tree planting in Nepal) to our Chicken Wall, where every chicken represents $7 raised for a family to rear poultry in Zimbabwe.

Thank you to teachers Doris Cuda, Kerry Winslett and Julia Cazita-Mazeaud for supporting and guiding the students’ efforts. A special thank you to Year 7 student, Lacey Wyatt, for her Easter Basket raffle. Lacey worked hard to sell a whole ticket book and raised $100! Congratulations to Ms Julie on a well-deserved win!

Have a safe and joy-filled Easter with your loved ones.

May God’s Mercy continue to shine upon us all!

Religion

As part of their learning this Term, Year 7 students designed T-shirts that reflect their understanding of how the Ten Commandments are relevant to them living a good life in their communities today.

Year 8 students learnt about the life and teachings of some Saints from the Middle Ages. Students designed stained-glass windows to tell the story of a Saint because back then people learned about Christianity from the pictures in cathedrals and Church windows.

Janet Wigan - Assistant Principal Mission

Easter Liturgy 2023

Truancies

Being in classes to learn and explore these interests is vital. Being late to classes and truanting classes doesn't just waste the students valuable learning time it is also very disruptive to the teacher and the other students trying to learn. Evidence-based research undertaken at St John Fisher University (2010) suggests that “In the short-term, truancy can predict maladjustment, poor academic performance, school dropout, substance abuse and delinquency.” To ensure our students have the skills to succeed academically and set themselves up for life, we have reintroduced Saturday detentions this term. These detentions provide time for students to complete the work that was missed in class as a result of truancy or being late to classes. The detention runs from 9am to 11am and students are required to work quietly on truancy and behaviour booklets.

Nikki Symons - Acting Assistant Principal Wellbeing

Diversity

Hearing and Learning

Australia has the worst ear disease rates in the world. Inflammation of the middle ear is the main condition contributing to hearing loss among indigenous children. Up to 80% of children in some communities are diagnosed with middle ear inflammation. In normal populations ear disease usually develops at around two to three years of age. In First Nations children it is most likely to develop at around twelve months of age when babies are listening, babbling and starting to talk, so language is greatly affected. By the time these children start school, they are already about two years behind in their language and social skills.

Poor hearing health is a serious condition which can profoundly affect a child’s life. Poor hearing can impede cognitive development, auditory processing skills and speech and language development, resulting in poor attending and listening. Poor hearing can also have an impact on social and emotional wellbeing. It can lead to behavioural problems such as irritability and non-compliance, which in turn can lead to social isolation, problems with school attendance and early school-leaving. These compounding problems can lead to lifelong negative social consequences for the child, as well as for the family and community.

Our clinic nurse will be conducting Sound Scouts Hearing Assessments with all boarding students next term. If you would like your day student to be included in the screening, please contact the school to provide consent. Students who fail two consecutive Sound Scouts hearing assessments will be referred to Hearing Australia in Atherton or Ravenshoe for a free Audiology Assessment.

If your child has a history of ear disease or you believe they may have a hearing difficulty, please let us know. This information is vital to providing the best possible support for your child at MSB.

Leah Whiting - Diversity Middle Leader

Parents & Friends (P & F)

MSB’s Parents & Friends Association started 2023 with a meeting to introduce new parent volunteers to how the P&F considers proposals for funding for new items to benefit the school community. At the meeting, a proposal for the installation of a cold water station outside Main Hall was considered.

The HPE staff requested the water cooler to provide easier access for students participating in sport and for use by boarding students using the hall for weekend recreation. It was felt that this was a worthwhile asset which would benefit all students in the school.

The next meeting of the P & F will coincide with the visit by the Torres Strait Island Consultative Committee (TSICC) in Week 1 Term 2, giving parents and carers the opportunity to collaborate on discussing ideas for improvements to the college.

New parents or carers are invited to join our P & F and bring your ideas and suggestions to this forum. If interested, please call Hillary O’Brien, Office Manager on 4096 1485 or email hobrien1@cns.catholic.edu.au

Hillary O'Brien - Office Manager

Cairns Diocesan News - Easter Edition

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS

The latest edition of the Cairns Diocesan News is available to view on the below link.

Cairns Diocesan News - Easter Edition

Junior Years 7 - 9

Year 7 Camp

WOW- What an incredible way to end the term!

The year 7 students were lucky enough to participate in a range of amazing activities designed to develop new skills, build team work and push students out of their comfort zones.

We were lucky enough to participate in the following activities when they visited Mungalli Creek Falls last week - Archery, Abseiling, Boomerang Throwing, Damper Making, Just Dance, Karaoke, Low Ropes, Obstacle Course, Raft Building and Swimming near the waterfall.

I was so proud of the way students pushed themselves and supported each other through the activities.

A big thank you to everyone who made the camp possible, we really do work with a dream team at MSB!

Year 7 students loved;

The food was tasty and it had a lot of flavour. ~ Ben.
The food was something you could eat multiple times. You couldn't get sick of it, it was good! ~ Lachlan
There were so many options for food, sauce, lettuce, salad. ~ Bryce
I really really liked the obstacle course because it was challenging and showed great teamwork. ~ Thomas
With the low ropes you have to trust each other and work well with friends. ~ Bryce
Abseiling was stepping outside your comfort zone. You had to trust them. ~ Lacey
The flying fox was fun because you got to cannonball into the water and do tricks. ~ Katelyn
I liked making the damper because it tasted good. ~ Serina
Abseiling because it shows your inner skills. ~ Harrison
I liked the afternoon swims in the waterfalls. ~ Charleigh

Kieren Waugh - Junior Years 7-9 Middle Leader

Year 7 Camp 2023

TRANSITION SUPPORT SERVICES - CAIRNS

Hi, our names are Miss Laura and Miss Kym.

You might see us out and about at Mount St Bernard College on a weekly basis. We work for the Transition Support Services  and help support the indigenous boarders from the Cape and Torres Strait.  When we are on campus, students are welcome to visit us in the Wellbeing space, we might visit your class or just say a quick hello during breaks. We want to help make sure you are feeling safe, supported and successful while away at boarding. If we are not visiting your school, we might be visiting other boarding schools in the region. We also visit your home communities! When we are there we meet with families as well as the Year 5 and 6 students to help get them ready for their transition into secondary school. If you have any messages or photos that you would like passed on while we are there please let us or the Wellbeing team know . We look forward to working with the staff and students for another year to help everyone have a positive experience at MSB. Keep an eye out for our faces or team logo and come say hi next time we are there.

Building and maintaining relationships with our students is crucial in supporting their wellbeing and engagement, particularly during the early phase of becoming a boarding student. The ongoing support by the Transition Support Team and Mount St Bernard College staff play an important role in assisting students to adjust and re-adjust to their world of living outside their home communities and living in the boarding environment.

It is with great appreciation to the MSB Staff who co-ordinated the 2 day visit to the College which strengthened our relationship with the students. The extended visit provided us with more focused and quality time with students and to support them around transition, to support them for longer periods in the classroom or to simply have a general chat about how they are going at school.

The overnight visit meant we could also have the girls engage in an activity. With the support and supervision of the staff from girls boarding, we took the Year 7 – 10 girls to the main hall for a fun dance activity. The girls (and some staff) participated in several dances. While slow to start, we eventually had some very talented dancers, who displayed deadly hula moves and also danced along to Jerusalama. I am sure the girls slept well that night, because I know we did.

Laura Duncan & Kym Kocsis - Transition Support Services - Cairns

Indigenous Leaders of Tomorrow

MSB students, Limferd Lui, Yasserie Kyle-Smith, Beau Hart & Tony Harry attended the Indigenous Leaders of Tomorrow camp held at Holloways Beach. MSB along with five other schools participated which enabled students to learn leadership skills and how to make lasting relationships with their peers, how to network, as well as looking after those that are in their charge, empowering themselves and empowering those around them to be better and to aim for better life outcomes in their communities and for their families. Our students were standouts amongst the schools that participated. The feedback was excellent and we're so very proud of them and looking forward to watching them develop into their own outstanding leaders in their communities.

Kenny O'Brien - Indigenous Liaison Officer

Health & Physical Education

Cross Country

Tuesday 14^th March was our annual cross-country event. All students participated, some as super-competitive runners, and others taking a wander around the track with teachers and friends. Everyone should be proud of their efforts – well done staff and students. Special congratulations to the students who have been selected for the school cross country team, a parent slip has been sent to families of these students. The next level of cross-country competition will take place at Tinaburra on Wednesday 3 May next term.

Touch Football Peninsula Trials

Congratulations to MSB student Lochlan Dalgety for making the Peninsula team on Tuesday in Cairns. We are super proud and wish you well in your preparation for the State Competition in Brisbane.

Swimming Carnival

Monday 27 March was our annual swimming carnival. The day was beautiful, and a wonderful time was had by staff and students. Congratulations to our participating swimmers – especially our Age Champions and Runners-up.

The day was convincingly won by Rush, their participation and dominance in the pool was clear, they were unstoppable! Congratulations!

Andrea Goetze - HPE & Sports Middle Leader

Swimming Carnival Winners Presentation 2023

We had two groups of female students in a school girls Rugby League competition. Two weeks of games in Atherton culminating with a Gala Day in Cairns this Wednesday . The girls were super keen, very competitive and played extremely well and we're very proud of them. Supported by two passionate coaches Miss Kendra Robinson and Miss Lisa Carroll, both Learning Support Officers at MSB .

They are having a fantastic time playing Rugby League, some of them for the first time. Well done girls for your enthusiastic participation.

Karen Murphy Cup - Tablelands

With a sigh of relief, we have come to the end of this term. However, we must congratulate ourselves on the wonderful successes we have achieved in our learning within the Maths and Science subjects.

Students have been engaging in many exciting lessons and have produced some fantastic work as a result.

The science lab lessons across all year levels have been outstanding with teachers providing a wide range of quality investigation opportunities for our students. While in maths we celebrated PI day on the 14th of March and many round foods were incorporated into lessons.

Sadly, we will be saying goodbye to Mr Arjun Handa in both our Maths and Science spaces. I would like to extend our voice of thanks to Arjun for the amazing and valued work he has done with his Science and Maths students this term, and we wish him all the best in his next adventures.

Wishing everyone a safe, enjoyable and well-earned break and hoping to see everyone back refreshed and ready to go in Term 2.

Wendell Majer - Maths and Science Middle Leader

Are athletes getting better over time? Will records continue to be broken? These are some of the questions that have been investigated by Year 12 General Maths students for their IA1 assessment piece this term. The Latin Olympic motto above translates as “Faster, Higher, Stronger”. Using mathematical modelling including scatterplots, correlation coefficients and lines of least regression students have analysed the relationships between Olympic records, and time in years. The results? Yes, they are getting better. As part of the task they were also asked to say whether this would continue. Is there a limit to human endeavour? What do you predict?

9C Maths students went to Herberton Historic Village. This was their choice of reward for improved behaviour during maths this term and we look forward to another term of excellent learning in Maths in Term 2. The boys were wonderful on the excursion, had a great time and learnt a lot. These photos show just some of the fun that was had and the interesting learning opportunities. We enjoyed the blacksmith display, shared a milkshake, ‘drove’ some old vehicles and learnt that Meshach & Logan can play the piano!

9C Maths Rewards Term 1 2023

During 9A Science our students investigated light with a variety of lenses.  Students experimented, refracting light from a ray box with different mirrors.  We also investigated the Law of Reflection and concluded that the angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence.

Year 7 Science

We have had a blast this term learning about how the position of the moon and sun affects things on Earth. In one of the lessons students learnt how to read a tide chart, a useful skill for any keen fisherman.

Student’s were given a tide chart from either Cairns, Boigu Island or Darnley island and set off in their groups to find out when the low and high tides were for a particular day.

After graphing this information they were able to determine what would be the best time to take their ‘boats’ out onto the reef.

Year 7 Science Term 1 2023

Senior Biology

Throughout this term students have been learning about cells and how they function to run our incredible bodies. We conducted an experiment to explore the relationship between surface area and volume. It was such a cool experiment using a very clever indicator which turned clear or pink depending on the solution it was placed in. Towards the end of the term, we explored how sunlight affects the rate of photosynthesis by covering vials filled with algal balls in different coloured paper.

English & Humanities

Congratulations to all our Year 7 and 9 students for their excellent attitude and hard work in the NAPLAN tests. Literacy skills, for the majority of the assessment tests, can be challenging for many of our English as an additional Language or Dialect (EALD) students. It was great to see our students showing resilience and perseverance in the tests. Like all the standardised tests we use, NAPLAN is all about helping us as teachers understand how we can support individual students and improve how we teach the Australian Curriculum content.

Students in Year 7-10 will be completing an unaided writing assessment at the start of next term. This is a chance for students to express their creativity by writing stories and gives their teachers the opportunity to assess their writing skills and command of English.

As we approach the end of term, students may start to feel the pressure of assessment deadlines in English and Humanities. It’s important for every student to remember that teachers are there to help and support them and get them through what they need to do to complete Term 1 assessment and move forward into Term 2. We can get there together!

Sarah Riber - English & Humanities Middle Leader

The Arts

In Term 1, students in Media Arts, Music, Visual Arts and Drama have participated in many opportunities to enhance their skills and processes. Year 7 Media Arts and 9 & 10 Visual Arts explored the NAIDOC Theme ‘For Our Elders’. The Junior Visual Art students explored Dragon Dreams, Self-Portraiture and Happening Hybrids. Senior Visual Arts in Practice completed the ‘Eye on the Prize’ Unit. The Senior Visual Arts students explored the concept of Art as Lens and Art as Knowledge to complete an investigation. Music is also flourishing again at MSB, with the employment of specialist Music Teachers, Tobias Moldenhauer and Brad McKenna.

Traylea Sexton - The Arts Middle Leader

Business & Technologies

This term MSB students have engaged in a range of exciting projects and creative activities. Check out what has been happening in the different areas:

Junior Business: Year 7 Business Students studied entrepreneurs, with a focus on successful Australian business owners. Year 8 Business have built a portfolio based on the topic of Australian markets within a national context. Students have investigated a range of factors that influence decision-making by individuals and business. These include the allocation of resources to produce goods and services in the operation of markets, and the different ways that businesses may adapt to opportunities in markets or respond to the changing nature of work.

Year 8 Engineering Principles

As part of the Design Technologies curriculum, students have investigated factors that influence the design of products, services, and environments, to meet our present and future needs. They explored the contribution of design and technology innovations, and enterprise, in our society. Students developed low-fidelity prototypes of wind turbines to explore variables that impact efficiency and effectiveness of their designs.

Year 7 Digi Tech had their Intro to Programming unit, playing a range of coding games to solve programming challenges and develop computational thinking.

Year 8 Digi Tech Created their 3D Monster models, developing their computational and design skills in a fun, creative and innovative way.

Year 9 Digi Tech Created a video project about National parks on the Atherton Tablelands or Redclaw fishing. This incorporated a field trip to film on location at some of our wonderful natural beauty spots on the Tablelands.

Senior ICT Applied Students have been developing their Graphic Design and DeskTop Publishing skills, to create professional looking documents.

Senior Digital Solutions students created a Technical Proposal for a Web app solution for the Herberton Flower Show.

Senior Design students have been introduced to defined design briefs, divergent thinking strategies, drawing techniques, and the design criteria. In week 8, students sat a design exam for their assessment. They responded really well, considering the client’s ‘MSB’s’ wants and needs. The design brief stated that ‘The school would like to create an area for young children of families visiting MSB. They would like to employ a designer to develop an environment suitable for children ages 2 -11 years old, that meets the design criteria.’ Please see below the fabulous results.

Year 7 and 8 Food Tech students completed a variety of food product solutions, then identified their own recipes and modified these to make a healthier alternative. Well done guys!

Year 9 & 10 Food Tech completed more complex recipes which they amended to make healthier options. Then for their final assessment made a healthy main course or dessert, a sweet potato chocolate cake with an avocado and chocolate topping, loaded sweet potatoes, an indigenous coconut chicken, with low-fat coconut milk and loads of fresh veggies and brown pasta and tuna bake, to name just a few, these were well received by the teachers who came to sample these students work.

Year 9 ITD students built camp stool to take on camping adventures.

Year 10 ITD are building a builders carryall tool box which is a great addition for around the house.

Some students have burnt on some wonderful designs on the sides and have created some very artistic handles. 

Year 11/12 Industrial Skills and Technology are building a sand anchor so they are learning to weld, cut, grind and drill their metal to the perfect shape. It is a pleasure to see students working hard and maybe next time you have any building work around the house ask your wonderful skilled children to help you out :)

Year 7 Textiles students made a range of sock-creatures; repurposing odd socks into fun toys, whilst developing their sewing and design skills.

In Year 7 and 8 Workshop, students were introduced to woodworking skills including safety in the workshop. They used their new skills with a range of tools to create turtle pot stands (year 7) or a desk-tidy/ jewellery-box (year 8).

Saffron Belkessa - Wood - Business, Technologies & Senior Studies Middle Leader

Business & Technologies Term 1 2023

Art Competition

The library is running an Art Competition looking for art that represents the different genres within the library book collection. Lots of prizes, twenty eight in total, are up for grabs. We'll see the winning entries in Term 2.

Donation

Local author Winsome Board, from Ravenshoe, donated her three books: The Shangri-la Trilogy to MSB library. Set in the Northern Territory the character based stories explore intergenerational change and connections across cultures. Thank you for your generous donation.

Rachel Nelson - Teacher Librarian

VET & Careers

It’s hard to believe 10 weeks is up in the VET/Careers Space. Thank you to all who have helped expand the minds of our students this term as they have had a chance to experience ‘hands on learning’ and life beyond the classroom attending events and excursions to help plant some seeds for their future.

A few highlights of the term include:

*Commencement of a Certificate II in Engineering course onsite at MSB for our senior students delivered by TAFE facilitator Bruce Brittain.

* Signing Year 10 student Laila Mass up for a school-based traineeship with Atherton Fresh Street Market IGA. Congratulations again Laila!

*Attendance at the JCU ‘Health Careers breakfast’ by those interested in working in the health industry.

*Griffin Johns and Sinevah Mari undergoing ‘A day in the Army Reserve’ work experience at the 51st Battallion, Cairns.

*Year 11 students participating in the First Nations Career Event and networking with local study and work providers.

*Listening to guest speakers from the Defence Forces promote their chosen pathway and share all of its lifelong benefits.

Next term we look forward to Year 10 work experience preparations and encourage any parents or local businesses reading this newsletter to reach out if you would like one of our students to come and experience your workplace at the end of June.

Wishing you all a happy and safe Easter break and look forward to seeing refreshed and smiling faces ready for Term 2.

VET & Careers

QATSIF

Congratulations to our 2023 QATSIF scholarship recipients. These scholarships help to give Queensland's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families increased educational choices and life opportunities.