9 March 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal's Report

Dear Parents

It's hard to believe that we are already in week 6 with only 2 ½ weeks remaining of Term 1.

I am pleased with the attitude of students in wearing the school uniform with pride. Last week on full school assembly I addressed both junior and senior students about the importance of displaying appropriate behaviour and using respectful language whilst in public, particularly if they are wearing the school uniform.

I reminded them that they become the 'face' of our school and we will be judged by their actions.

Staff News

Rebecca Buchanan has taken maternity leave for the remainder of the year. So we welcome Justine Goodwin as her replacement.

Shelly Silver will be commencing maternity leave from Term 2 and Courtney Innes will be her replacement.

Carol Petschler has extended her leave until the end of Semester 1 and Cheryl Yamazaki is replacing her.

Congratulations STEM Girl Power Camp

Congratulations to Mia Hori in year 10, who has been successful in obtaining a place at the 'Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics' (STEM) Girl Power Camp in Brisbane from 9-12 March 2016.

The camp is for high achieving student leaders and aims to inspire girls to consider STEM as a future career option. This is a prestigious placement as only a few students from around the state were selected.

Congratulations to Mia on receiving this placement.

School Attendance

It is timely that I address this matter given that Term 1 reports will be issued soon.

There are a number of codes the school uses to track and record student absences and given the high correlation between student attendance and student achievement, it is important that you are aware of the criteria we use to assign student attendance codes.

There are only two categories of absences:

Approved Absences

Approved absences are absences approved by a medical or health practitioner e.g. GP, Dentist, Physiotherapist, Psychologist, Optometrist etc. or the Principal for school related activities e.g. Traineeships and apprenticeships, excursions, sport, structured work placements etc.

A student may have an unlimited number of approved absences without consequence, however the absence or release from school for medical or health related appointments will be reported as an 'unapproved' absence until medical documentation, certificate or appointment slip is provided.

Unapproved Absences

All other absences are coded as 'unapproved' and include:

Sick – phone call or note from parent stating sickness as the reason but not supported by medical documentation.
Holiday – Family holiday during school time.
Unexplained - No reason given.
Late to school without a valid reason.

Year 11 and 12 students are reminded that strict requirements regarding school attendance must be met for completion of senior studies. Students who reach 5 or more 'unapproved' absences will be issued with a 'Cancellation of Enrolment – Warning letter' stipulating the importance of school attendance. Students who receive 10 or more will be issued with a 'Cancellation of Enrolment – Show Cause letter' that provides a student 5 school days in which to explain in writing why their enrolment should not be cancelled.

Obviously, we do not want any student to be in this position so I encourage you to support and monitor your student's attendance closely as there is little latitude for undocumented leniency in this area.

Attendance = Academic Progress

Please refer to the following link explaining the importance of attendance.

School Reports

School reports will be emailed to parents in the last week of school so please ensure your details are current and up to date.

Until next term.

Regards

Jim Baker
Principal

Dates to Remember

Important Information from TransLink

From January, use TransLink's online journey planner to find the best travel options for your child to travel to and from school. Our helpful tips for journey planning for school services makes planning your child's school journey even easier.

Alternatively, you can also use the school timetables search if you already know your bus route number.

Travel to school with go card

When your child travels to and from school on public transport with go card, they can save at least 30% compared to the cost of a single paper ticket. That's in addition to the 50% discount that school students pay compared to adults. These savings quickly add up!

Grab a go card for your child online or at selected retailers today.

Visit the TransLink website for full details on school transport, tickets and fares.

Is your child eligible for STAS?

The Queensland Government provides eligible school students travelling to and from primary and secondary schools with assistance via the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS).

Find out if your child is eligible and beat the rush – apply now and pick up your child's travel pass from your local operator today!

Kind regards
TransLink Customer Relations

Finance Office/Uniform Shop hours of operation

REMINDER: The finance counter DOES NOT operate on Fridays for receipting. This closure coincides with the current arrangements in place with the uniform/bookshop closed each Friday. Hours of operation are 8.00am to 2.00pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week.

Kellie Johnston
Business Services Manager

Payments Via Internet Banking

Paying for Miami High School excursions and/or fees is possible using Internet Banking.

The traditional payment methods are still available (Cash/EFTPOS/Credit Cards), but some people find Internet Banking much quicker and easier – especially because you can make payments 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the comfort of your own home or office.

INTERNET BANKING DETAILS

Account Name: Miami State High School General A/c
Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia
Branch: Burleigh Heads
BSB: 064-404
Account Number: 00090020

PAYMENT REFERENCES

Each child has a unique Education Queensland Identification number (EQ ID). For all internet payments we will require you to use your child's EQ ID number to identify your payment, e.g. 0011223344W.

Please ensure each payment sent through has the following details within the Payment Reference so that we can clearly identify your payment.

Excursions:

>>Student EQ ID Excursion>> - e.g 0011223344W Seaworld

Please ensure only one payment per student per excursion – If you have multiple students/excursions to pay for, please put each one through individually, unless otherwise arranged with the school office. As internet banking payments are not instant, please ensure internet payments are done 48 hours prior to payment cut-off date.

School Fees:

<<Student EQ ID Fees>> - e.g. 0011223344W 2013 Text

If you have any questions relating to payments, please contact the payment office on 07 55540333 or email Angie Johnson on ajohn543@eq.edu.au.

Kellie Johnston
Business Services Manager

Update your Contact Details

ARE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS UP TO DATE – INCLUDING EMERGENCY CONTACTS?

We have been experiencing a number of students presenting to sick bay with serious illnesses/injuries to warrant the school needing to urgently contact a parent/guardian or an emergency contact but with no success. Could you please make sure that your contact details are up to date and ensure your emergency contacts are available if you're not able to be contacted. This is especially important for when parents are travelling away during the school term and leaving students with guardians. Please feel free to contact the school either by email admin@miamishs.eq.edu.au or telephoning 5554 0333 to confirm your current details.

Parent Contact

NOTE TO PARENTS/CARERS

The school database program can only allocate ONE address per student. If a student is residing equally between two addresses, the parents/carers must decide which address will be allocated as the main address for the student. The second address can be noted on the student's hardcopy personal file.

If a second report is required to be emailed, please contact the school in order for us to record this.

Helen O'Brien
Human Resources Manager

RTC SMS Text – Home Communication

To improve the communication between parents and the school, Responsible Thinking Classroom (RTC) SMS text messages will be sent daily for all students referred to the RTC. This will provide immediate feedback for parents allowing them to discuss issues with their student, and if they have any concerns, contact the school for clarification. The following texts will be used:

SMS text for daily RTC referral.

Dear parent, please be advised your student was referred to RTC today. Please discuss with your student and contact Miami SHS 55540333 if concerned.

SMS text for student reaching RTC Level 3.

Dear parent, your student has reached Level 3 on RTC. Please support by discussing this with your student. Thank you from Miami SHS.

SMS text for student reaching RTC Level 5.

Dear parent, your student has reached Level 5 on RTC. Please contact Miami SHS on 5554 0333 to arrange an intervention meeting time asap. Thank you.

SMS text for student reaching RTC Level 7.

Dear parent, your student has reached Level 7 on RTC. One more referral may result in suspension. Your urgent support is appreciated. Thanks Miami SHS 5554 0333.

Please take the opportunity to discuss this with your student, should you receive a text message regarding RTC. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Glenn Smits
Positive Behaviour Coach

SEP – Morning Club

To support the students at Miami High, the SEP Department provides 'The Morning Club' on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8.00am in G10. Students can participate in art and craft activities, play board games with friends and complete any homework or assessment tasks with teacher support. The Morning Club is an opportunity for students to engage in positive social interaction with others as well as consolidate knowledge and understanding of concepts and skills learned at school.

Healthy Smart Choices

Hello my name is Sharon Mitchell. I am the Miami State High School P&C Vice President as well as the Tuckshop representative. I received notification from the Queensland Government Department of Education and Training regarding some very important changes that will benefit the health and well-being for the children of our great school. I'd highly recommend that all parents/ carers of our school community read the significant changes that are about to occur as of Term 2, 2016.

The Tuckshop staff are currently working in readiness for the new changes and look forward to producing a fabulous new menu which will comply with the mandatory requirements. I have inserted a portion of the letter that was sent to the P&C below along with the website details that will give you a better understanding of the up and coming changes. I recommend that once you have read this information, that you pass it on to your child so they also have a better understanding of what's about to occur for the better.

The Department of Education and Training is committed to improving children's health and learning through better nutrition. The implementation of Smart Choices, the Healthy Food and Drink Supply Strategy for Queensland Schools, have been mandatory in state schools since 1 January 2007.

Smart Choices has recently been recognised on the global stage as one of only 10 programs internationally that has been shown to effectively reduce the amount of sugar consumed at a population level.

Between 2011 and 2015, both state and non-state schools have been supported to improve the nutritional value of foods and drinks supplied to students through the Smart Choices project. There will be 3 significant changes to the classification of products under Smart Choices which are to be implemented by the start of Term 2, 2016.

The changes, along with a range of other minor changes, were made in consultation with key stakeholders including principals associations, P&Cs Qld, the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops (QAST), NAQ Nutrition and the non-state schooling sector. All changes are included in the revised Ready Reckoner which can be downloaded from the Smart Choices website at

Sharon Mitchell
Vice President P & C Association

Year 7 - 2017 Enrolment Information

Students enrolling in Year 7 for 2017 are invited to apply for Selective Entry into one or more of Miami High's Excellence Programs. Thirty scholarships will be offered to students who receive places in the Excellence Programs and interested students do not need to apply separately.

Applications into our Excellence Programs are open to all students. Interested students will need to attend a written exam for Stellar Academic Excellence, auditions for Cultural programs and trials for Sport's Excellence.

To find out more information about our Academic, Cultural and Sporting Programs refer to our school website - Miami SHS Excellence Programs

Excellence Program Application Process

All candidates must:

Complete the Application for Student Enrolment and the 2017 Student Enrolment Application Package
Submit the specified documentation in support of the Enrolment application
Submit the Application for Excellence Program with supporting evidence

Complete the online Expression of Interest by midnight on the following dates at

KEY DATES:

15/03/2016 - Stellar Academic Excellence Program Expressions of Interest close
19/03/2016 - Stellar Academic Excellence Program Entrance Exam, 9am I Block
22/03/2016 - Touch Football Invitational Competition, Miami SHS
09/05/2016 - Cultural and Sporting Excellence Program Expressions of Interest close
17/05/2016 - Tennis Program trials commence
23/05/2016 - Instrumental Music Program auditions commence
24/05/2016 - Physical Education Excellence Program trial session 1, 3.30-5.30pm I Block
25/05/2016 - Dance Excellence Program auditions, Dance studio
31/05/2016 - Physical Education Excellence Program trial session 2, 3.30-5.30pm I Block
01/06/2016 - Touch Football Excellence Program trial, 3.30-5.30pm I Block

If you experience any difficulties, need to update your information or have any further enquiries, please contact Voula Mihailidis, Miami SHS Enrolment's Officer at vmiha4@eq.edu.au or 5554 0333

Exam Shutdown Periods go Online (Years 10-12)

Based on feedback from the senior students of 2015, staff and parents, Exam Shutdown Periods will be held each term in 2016. These documents have now been distributed to Year 10, 11 and 12 students. If your student was absent and has yet to receive an Exam Shutdown schedule, please ask them to obtain one from their Dean of Students. These important documents have also been uploaded to the school website (http://www.miamishs.eq.edu.au). If your student has a concern with the scheduling of their exams (i.e. more than two exams in the one day or a clash of exams) please ask them to speak with Mr Cross - Deputy Principal Senior Secondary. We wish all of our students the best in all of their assessment tasks for 2016.

Jason Cross
Deputy Principal Senior Secondary

Industry Liaison Office Update

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEESHIPS, WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES & INDUSTRY EVENTS

There are a number of interesting opportunities on board for our Year 10-12 students in different industries. Interested students and parents are welcome to visit or call the Industry Liaison Office to collect an application form or for more information.

This year we are going digital to advertise all these positions and events to ensure students and parents are not missing out. Information is uploaded on the school Facebook page and in the next 2 weeks I will also send this information through emails to parents and students. Flyers will still be posted outside the Library boards and listed on Students Notices for the Vibes classes.

CONSTRUCTION READY Work Placement Program - Parklands

DET in partnership with GROCON Company are looking for Year 12 & 11 students who are keen to participate in an 80 hours structured work placement, 1 day per week in the Parklands construction site. Students will have different TRADES e. g. plumbing, carpentry, concrete, electrical etc. to choose from. Submit Expression of Interest by 11th March 2016.

Students must be VET In School eligible/not enrolled in a VET in School certificate course to participate. White Card and PPE gears will be provided. Successful completion of the program will possibly result to either a full-time apprenticeship or employment with GROCON.

COAST HEALTH WORK EXPERIENCE

Nursing/Midwifery Education and Research Work Experience Workshop at the Robina Hospital. Year 11 & 12 students to apply. Available dates to choose from: 19thApril, 17thMay, 21st June, 19th July or 4th October.

JUPITERS CASINO/The Star Entertainment Work Experience

A 5-day work experience is offered to Year 11 & 12 students at the Jupiters starting Term 2 until December 2016. Work Experience is available both in the Back of the House and Front of the House. Hotel departments to be working in will be Culinary/Kitchen, Food and Beverage, Accommodation, Maintenance, and the Administration Office.

Students who are interested in Electronics and in the Maintenance departments are also considered. Successful students can gain Full-time apprenticeships with Jupiters after Year 12.

DEFENCE WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM - RAAF Base Amberley

RAAF Amberley is offering a 3 day Air Force familiarization opportunity for those students looking to investigate further a career in aviation as a pilot. The next session is running 4-6 April 2016, at RAAF Amberley.

SCHOOL BASED TRAINEESHIPS AND APPRENCTICESHIPS

Various employers are looking for school based trainees and apprentices to work in their businesses and who will undertake one of the below qualifications. Numerous positions are available so update your resume and check the flyers on Facebook, notices and school bulletin boards.

SPORT & RECREATION – Miami Pizzey Pool traineeship
ICT - Certificate III, various positions available
CHILDCARE – Certificate III Early Childhood Education
COMMERCIAL COOKERY - Certificate III
HOSPITALITY - Certificate III Front of the House
BUSINESS - Certificate III Business (Retail)
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION – Certificate III

Floribel Legaspi
Industry Liaison Officer

School Council – Parent Nomination

Miami State High School is an Independent Public School and as such we are required to form a School Council. Members are entrusted with the long term integrity and viability of the school. In return for this trust, members perform their duties always in the best interests of the school, in good faith and with honesty.

An Expression of Interest is being sought for the 'Elected' parent representative on the School Council. Please go to the following link for further information and eligibility criteria.

Interested parents are requested to complete and return the Nomination Form available on the homepage of the school website to Jason Cross, Deputy Principal – Senior Secondary on jcros40@eq.edu.au by 23rd March 2016. Alternatively the Nomination Form can be returned directly to the school office.

The selection of the 'Elected' parent representative will occur at the April P & C Meeting on Tuesday 19th April 2016.

Please contact Jason Cross, Returning Officer, on 5554 0333 if you have any questions in relation to this process.

Years 7, 8, 9 Dance Excellence

2016 is well underway in the Dance department with students engaging in all areas of dance from curriculum to extracurricular. The Year 7 DNX class has been immersed in Chinese fan dance and jazz technique as part of their Term 1 unit titled, The Dancer Prepares. The class is now currently working on their performance task titled, Jasmine Flower. This is a teacher-choreographed routine combining the study of ritual dance with jazz dance to create an artistic dance performance piece. The students will take the stage for the first time to perform this routine at our Harmony Day Assembly which will be held in the Miami Great Hall on 24th March.

The Year 8 DNX class has been very busy in theory lessons combining foundation theory with modern jazz theory through writing a feature magazine article. In addition to the theoretical aspects of this unit, the students have also been thoroughly engaged in the development of their modern jazz technique through their teacher choreographed performance task, Seven Nation Army.

The Year 9 Dance students have been combining their dance skills with film to create their own video clips. It's an exciting unit which focuses on the development of commercial jazz technique, which is highly sought after within the dance industry today.

Miami High is also proud to offer numerous opportunities for students to participate in dance and congratulations must go to all the students who auditioned through weeks 6 and 7.

Miranda van't Hof
Experienced Senior Teacher - Dance

Senior Secondary Updates

Diploma of Business Graduates

Congratulations to the 15 students that graduated with their Diploma of Business from their studies last year in Year 11. By completing this Diploma they will have a rank score of 82 with an equivalent OP of 7-9. Thanks to Careers Australia for delivering this program within our timetable at Miami SHS to gain this amazing Qualification.

Unique Student Identifier

In VIBES over the next fortnight Year 10 students will have the opportunity to create a USI that they will utilise over Year 10-12 with any Vocational qualification or competency that they complete. All Year 10 parents have been emailed with further information.

Year 9 PEX Triathlon

Get ready, set, swim, bike and run! This term, the Year 9 Physical Education Excellence class has been involved in training for a mini triathlon as a part of their assessment. All students within the class have spent several weeks preparing physically and emotionally for the speed race. Last week saw Mr and Mrs Barwick (A BODY 2 FIT Triathlon Club Incorporated) visit the school to upskill the students on their transitions as well as provide some handy race day tips regarding mounting and dismounting on the bike. Students also visited a local triathlon shop to get some last minute tactics before their race at school. The students enjoyed both experiences and are now well equipped to take on the pool, the bike and the path. This term, students are also studying Anatomy, which links in perfectly with the triathlon. Not only do these students understand and experience the physical requirements but also what is required on the body during such a race.

Pippa McGinniskin
PE Teacher

Year 12 Physical Education Surfing Experiences

This term has seen all Year 12 Physical Education students practice and perfect their surfing ability as a part of their practical assessment. For several weeks, students have continuously been practicing the skills of paddling, moving from prone to feet as well as manoeuvring on the wave. Students have also had the opportunity to partake in some additional surfing lessons at Currumbin Alley and Greenmount, Coolangatta. These extra lessons have provided students with the ability to demonstrate progression, perfect their skills and receive adequate feedback about their performance. This links in perfectly with their assessment this term (feedback) and shows that the integration of practical and theoretical elements can advance students' performance.

Pippa McGinniskin and Danielle Gardiner
PE Teachers

Health and Wellbeing Day

On the whole, the day was much fun and extremely beneficial. I had a lot of fun and feel extremely privileged that I was able to participate in a day such as this and look forward to participating once again.

The first session I learnt about was Cybersafety. The police came in and warned us on the dangers of Cyberbullying, sexting and the consequences which can arise from it.

The next session we learnt about drugs and alcohol with the team from YODA. I had an absolute blast. They were so down to earth, funny and understanding and I would love to see them again.

In the third session we met with Moni Alaga and this was probably the most beneficial for me.

He was very understanding and sent out an amazing message on happiness and the importance of it.

I would absolutely love to see another presentation from him.

Session four came and the boys and girls split up. I went to the resilience talk while the boys went to Chappy to hear about grief and loss.

Nurse Lisa was very interesting and had a lovely message that I learnt quite a lot from.

Although, I would have liked to have heard about grief and loss also.

All in all Wellbeing Day was a fun experience and I would love to do it again in another year.

Alixana McFarlane
Year 9 Student

Health and Wellbeing Update

Miami High is pleased to announce our first Parent Information Evening for 2016. We are fortunate to have Simon Santosha, a professional counsellor, available to speak about teenage development and how we as parents can stay connected to our teenagers.

The evening will be held here at Miami High School in the Great Hall on Thursday March 10th at 6.30pm.

Please see the attached flyer for further information.

Don't miss this great opportunity to gain vital strategies to work at home with your teenager.

WELLBEING TIP: Hang Out with positive people. Seeing and hearing positive things often transfers to thinking and feeling positive emotions.

Tiffany Grant
Wellbeing Coordinator

Information on Information Night with Simon Santosha

Marine Science/Sea World

This term, Year 12 Marine Science students are studying marine vertebrate biology. This involves taking an in-depth look at specific species adaptations and then analysing the threats facing the survival of these organisms.

As part of their studies, students were lucky to enough to visit Sea World for the day. The excursion included a reef snorkel with tropical fish, sharks and sting rays. Following this, students were able to view seals, sea lions, penguins and polar bears up close.

All students had a fantastic time, with valuable learning experiences. A big thank you to all students for your fabulous behaviour and enthusiasm throughout the day.

For any questions regarding the Miami SHS Marine Science program, please email me on lcole114@eq.edu.au

Mrs Lauren Coleman
Senior Marine Science Teacher

Chess Club

Miami SHS Chess Club - Outstanding Start to 2016

Chess, the game of kings, has gotten off to a great start at Miami SHS in 2016. The Chess Club has been meeting every Tuesday at lunch in Room I06 to learn new strategies and tactics while playing social games with friends. New members are always welcome. This year has seen the addition of an online chess club as well, so students can enjoy playing each other and learning about chess in their own time too. We are committed to having both a fun social club as well as competitive opportunities for our strongest players to represent Miami SHS in interschool competitions.

Our first after school chess challenge invitational tournament was held on Thursday, March 3rd at Kings Christian College. Six of our club players entered the tournament with 43 players viewing for the top positions. After 3 hours of competitive chess playing and six matches each, Miami SHS came out on top! Our club won 4 of the 6 podium placings up for grabs. An outstanding effort! Finishing 2nd in the A Division (Rated Players) was Joey Thomas who played excellent matches and displayed his talents. Miami SHS players took out the top four positions in B Division, with Manomai Tirumalasetti finishing 1st , Divisha Tirumalasetti 2nd , Alex Young 3rd and Emre Aslan 4th.

Next up for our competitive players is the Gold Coast School's Tournament - Round 2, coming up in May. The Miami Chess Club will be sending its top 8 junior players and top 4 seniors to represent our school at this major event. If you enjoy playing chess or are up for learning a fun strategy game, please come along to our Tuesday Lunch Club sessions and join in the action. Currently we are holding a promotion to expand our club with a raffle of a double movie pass on offer to players that bring along new members. Chess at Miami SHS is certainly off to a great start in 2016.

"When you see a good move wait - look for a better one." - Emanuel Lasker, Grandmaster, World Chess Champion

Mr. Matt Smith
Chess Coach

The students in the photo attached are Left to Right Emre Aslan, Alex Young, Manomai Tirumalasetti, Divisha Tirumalasetti, Pavlik Yakhnitsia and Joey Thomas at the Chess Challenge Invitational, Kings Christian College, March 3rd.

Student Exchange Opportunities

Program Choices & Application Deadlines

WEP offers over 100 short and long-programs to more than 25 countries. Application deadlines for student exchange programs commencing in July-September are fast approaching. Therefore, interested students currently in Year 10 - 12 are encouraged to attend an information session https://wep.org.au/lets-talk/sessions or contact us directly. For a full list of current application deadlines, please visit

Students currently in Year 10 are encouraged to consider semester programs commencing in August 2016. Students in Year 12 are encouraged to consider semester or year programs commencing in 2017. Early Bird Discounts as well as Scholarships are available for 2017 semester and year programs. Students in Year 11 may like to consider our term programs departing at the end of 2016 to avoid any disruption to their senior schooling.

SPORT

3 x World Surfing Champion Mick Fanning chats with Miami SHS Excellence Classes

What an experience of a lifetime the Year 8 Physical Education Excellence and Year 7 Touch Excellence classes were given when they met with 3 times World Champion Surfer - Mick Fanning.

Mick Fanning took time out of his busy schedule to answer questions asked by the students as part of their 'What Makes a Champion' unit. Students (and teachers) were intrigued to learn valuable information about goal setting, motivation, arousal and feedback from a person who many consider to be one of the greatest sportspeople in Australia. Not to mention he is also an all-round great person.

The classes were interested to learn some of the following;

When Mick Fanning was young he made a list of where he wanted to be in the future.

His number 1 goal was to become World Champion and he explained that it's all the little goals that help you reach your ultimate goal.

Mick Fanning has around 100 surf boards all over the world

As an added bonus at the end of question and answer time, Mick also signed small mementos that the students had brought along for their meeting.

Thank you very much to Mick Fanning and Mr Petersen for making this possible. No doubt it will be a day that will be remembered fondly by all involve.

By Kaylah Carter
Year 8 Student

Students enjoying their visit from Mick Fanning

Swimming Success

The 2016 MSHS Oceanic Swim team made their school proud on Thursday 18th February. Not only were they organised, courteous and competitive swimmers, they also managed to bring home the overall winning trophy of the event, making Miami State High School the top performing swim team in the Oceanic District for 2 consecutive years!

All the teams were exceptional on the day with special mention to our 'retiring' male co-captains- Andrew Ryan and Kobe Schultz who led from the front. Our female captain Kendall Wilson was also outstanding assisting the team manager throughout the day to ensure no student missed their race. Captains also had the great initiative of having all Miami team members wearing Miami pride with visible blue and yellow zinc as war paint! Another special mention to Adam Puetter for successfully competing in all his age group events with a late call up to join the team the morning of the event!

A big thank you to all the parents that came along to support their children and team manager!

It goes without saying that none of this success would occur without the tireless dedication of Miami's Sports coordinator, Ty Dowker!

Congratulations to all students involved, you should be very proud of yourselves!

Looking forward to making it a trifecta in 2017!

Anna Lee
Team Manager

Kokoda Challenge "Thank You"

Miami State High School would like to give a huge "Thank You" to the following stores for helping out with donations for the Kokoda Challenge Fundraising:

Spanos IGA - Mermaid Waters – Outstanding generosity!
Woolworths - Burleigh Waters
Woolworths - Palm Waters
Coles - Miami

All stores donations made the school swimming carnival barbecue a massive success! This made it possible to register all three teams for the big event in July 16-17. Your donations change lives one step at a time. Thank you store managers!

Spano's Super IGA Photo

Community News

Gold Coast Health Oral Health (Dental) Services

Gold Coast Oral Health Services are offering free dental check-ups to children in years 7 to 10.

This service will be provided at Broadbeach SS Dental Clinic. Hours of operation for this clinic are Monday - Wednesday 8.00am – 4pm).

To arrange an appointment for your child telephone:

The Oral Health Client Service Centre
1300 300 850
Monday – Friday 8.00 am – 4.30 pm

Excluding Public Holidays

Child Dental Benefit Schedule Vouchers are accepted. When your child's $1000 cap is reached, there will be no out-of-pocket expenses provided your child meets *eligibility criteria.

Eligibility – All Queensland resident children aged four years or older who have not completed Year 10 of secondary school.

Further information on public funded oral health services can be accessed via URL: