10 August 2016

Newsletter Articles

Principal's Report

Dear Parents

Staff News

Mrs Eva Smith is going on long service leave during weeks 4-6 of this term and is replaced in the English Department by Mr Max Little.

Mr Paul Tait is taking paternity leave throughout weeks 4-6 and is replaced in the English/ Humanities Department by Mr Matthew Atkins-Smith

Thanks to Ms Hayley Rosa who has been filling in for Mrs Michaela Hoy who returns from long service leave next week.

NAPLAN

As you may be aware NAPLAN Results were released late last week. Miami High Years 7 and 9 students performed extremely well with results being above State and like schools in all areas.

Well done and congratulations to all staff and students. Well done also to Mrs Jackson, Mrs Mahon and Mrs Flynn who have made significant adjustments to our NAPLAN preparation schedule, this is obviously paying dividends. Well done to our Year 7 and 9 students too who grasped the opportunity to prepare fully for these exams and did the very best they could.

Parents, you should by now have received a document detailing your child's individual results for each domain. Please use this document as a feedback opportunity to discuss areas of strength and weakness to enhance your child's future results.

Academic Awards Ceremony

On Thursday 28 July Miami High held its annual mid-year Academic Achievers Ceremony. Thank you to all parents who came along to support our students. Congratulations to all our high Academic Achievers and well done. Thank you also to Mrs Jackson and her team of helpers for putting together a fabulous celebration of academic achievement at Miami High.

M Factor

Many thanks to all staff and students who contributed to once again making M Factor such a great evening, including Miss Boyce, Mr Wilson and the Sound and Lighting Crew, Student Council, all the staff who helped at the door and on the canteen.

Congratulations to the following winners and well done on some fantastic performances. 1st Place – Dane Shaw and Zeke Azzolini, 2nd Place - Kyle Pridmore and 3rd Place - Ned Etherington.

State Cross Country Results

Well done to our students who participated in the State Cross Country, congratulations to Blade Rose (3rd) who has qualified for the nationals in four weeks' time.

Congratulations to Taya Hosking 8th, Erin Blanch 15th and Saxon Rose 23rd their excellent results.

Under 14 Girls AFL Team

The Miami Under 14 girls AFL Team competed in the QLD State Quarter Finals at Springwood. The girls had a cracking game and won 78 to 11. They will now play in the State Semi Finals against St Teresa's in the coming weeks. A big congratulations to the team, Miss McGinniskin (Coach) and Mrs Kistemaker (bus driver).

Miami High Surfers

From Thursday 28 July to Sunday 31 July Sam Littlechild, Maddy Job and Abbey Gain participated in the Qld Surfing Titles on North Stradbroke Island. Sam and Abbey finished 3rd in their Quarter Final which places them in the top 12 surfers in the State.

Maddy Job progressed through to the final dominating in the heats, quarters and semi's. The South Coast Managers gave Maddy the unofficial award of the best prepared surfer in the South Coast Team as he was always the first surfer in the water on the day that he surfed and the most organised. A very well done to Maddy finishing 2nd overall in the State. He will now go on to compete at the Australian Titles in Victoria.

Red Cross Blood Bank

On Friday 29 July the Red Cross Blood Bank came to Miami High and many staff, senior students and parents took the time to donate blood to this very worthy cause. Thank you very much to Miss Temelkoska and Holly Williamson for organising this event.

Subject Information Evening

Last week was the Year 9 into 10 and Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection Information Evening. Well done to Mr Cross, Mr Webster, Mrs Legaspi and Mr Atkins for a very informative evening. I'm confident that with the information learned on the night students will now be able to make appropriate subject and career pathway decisions. If you or your child could not attend on the night please encourage students to collect subject packs from the Administration office. Of course all information is also on our website. Any questions or queries regarding your subject selection can be directed to Mr Cross, Mr Webster or Mr Atkins.

H Block Refurb

As you may be aware, H Block is being renovated. This is a major capital works project and will require some months of workmen being on our premises. Therefore areas surrounding the construction precinct will be out of bounds for students including the area west of H and E Blocks, the grass area at the end of F Block and the area between H Block and the Great Hall Stairs.

This will also increase the pressures on our parking facilities, as the construction zone will take in the parking area on the driveway west of E Block. I ask senior students during this time to please park in Santa Monica Avenue not on the service road adjacent to the Gold Coast Highway. This area will be needed for the many builders' cars and staff parking.

Regards

Alison Fahlbusch
Acting 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

Aerospace students "Take-off" in Airforce Simulator

The sky's no limit for Miami State High School Year 11 and 12 Aerospace students who had the opportunity to be a pilot or air traffic controller today when the Airforce Aircombat Centre flight simulator visited the school as part of their Careers day.

Aerospace students got to feel what it's like to fly a FA 18 Super Hornet or direct pilots on a mission as an Air Traffic Controller as part of the simulation experience.

The Airforce simulator allows two pilots and two air traffic controllers to a hands-on experience in the Aircombat Centre, which proved a hit with the Miami Aerospace students. This is only the second time that the simulator has visited schools on the Gold Coast since its introduction as a training facility.

Air Traffic Controllers assisted the student pilots with take-off and landing the aircraft as if they were flying from RAAF Base Amberley. The pilots and air traffic controllers had to work together to achieve a mission, which included a take-off, and return to the base with a safe landing of the aircraft.

Mr Lee Freeman, Aerospace Teacher at Miami State High stated that "Having the Airforce simulator at the school today was a huge hit with our Aerospace students, who had the opportunity to feel what it's like to be a pilot one day. The students got to talk to Airforce personnel about their real life experiences and what it takes to join the defence force as a career pathway."

Year 11 student Zane McDermott said, "It was an awesome experience with the simulator providing such a real experience and what it takes to fly one of these machines. I was so excited to get this experience at school."

Miami State High is the only school on the Gold Coast to offer Aerospace studies as an OP subject and is available to students in Years 11 and 12. The subject has been offered at the school for 10 years and content covers a variety of aerospace and aviation career opportunities and is not limited to just pilot and engineer but covers border security, cabin crew, aircraft mechanic, travel agency representative and even meteorologist. The subject areas include aeronautics and astronautics, airport design and operations, safety management systems and the aviation business.

Miami State High School Year 11 student Savannah Dunstone got to experience the simulator along with her Aerospace classmates at a recent visit by the Airforce FA 18 simulator centre. Seen with Savannah was Aircombat flight simulator instructor Imray Cooray.

Film and Television at Miami

'Chuck a snag on the barbie! What fun the Shooters Video Club had at this year's athletics carnival coordinating their sausage sizzle fundraiser for Miami High's 7th Annual Film Festival. We have a few expert barbecues in our mix, such perfectionists that we had return customers throughout the day. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support in our venture to make this year's M'Oscars the biggest and best yet. We are currently running our 10 second film challenge, with the winner having the opportunity to have their film screened at the festival in October. So if you consider yourself a bit of a Steven Spielberg, get your entry in to K04 by the end of week 5. For terms and conditions of entry, please see one of our fabulous Shooters Club members. That's all folks and remember to keep Tuesday, 11 October free!

Lucy Carr
Film and Television Teacher

Tim Place, Grace Hassell, Blake Foster, Jake Alabaster, Julia Langton and Dane Shaw running the Sausage Sizzle at this year's Athletics Carnival

2016 – "Can't Stop the Feeling!"

Miami State High School Dance Excel Showcase

"The dance is over, the applause subsided but the joy and feeling will stay with you forever."

W. M. Tory.

"Chookas" to all of the student's performing in this evening's Dance Excel Showcase. It is set to be an awesome night of dance, showcasing the talents of all dance students' in Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Themed "Can't Stop the Feeling!" the showcase will involve approximately 130 dancers, including a primary performance - involving 30 students from a number of Gold Coast schools. Entry is $5 per person at the door on the night. The evening starts promptly at 7pm.

Ms Miranda van't Hof
Experienced Senior Dance Excellence Teacher

Chemistry: Department News

The Year 11 Chemistry Students conducted testing at Griffith University on water samples collected from Pizzey Park on Friday 29 July. Students and their teachers met at the Broadbeach South Tram Station to catch the G Link up to Griffith University. Using the state of the art facilities and equipment at the University, students performed a range of chemical processes including; making up dilutions, conducting a titration, as well as measuring absorbance using a spectrophotometer to determine the health of the water samples collected. Students upheld the values of Miami throughout the entire excursion and it was a pleasure being able to accompany these students. Further testing will be conducted at school over the coming week with students ultimately completing a report based on their findings.

Chemistry Students conducting testing on water samples at Griffith University

Julie Barrett and Kasey Hardman
Year 11 Chemistry Teachers

Canterbury College Mathematics Teams Challenge – Report

Our junior team finished 6th from a group of 18 and our intermediate team finished 8th from a group of 20 teams. In both cases we were the second highest placed State School and the highest placed Gold Coast School. In the process we beat Marymount College, Assisi College and Trinity in a successful day of Mathematics thoroughly enjoyed by the students. A big thank you to Year 7 Teacher Jenni McCarthy for working with the students on the day.

Mathematics: Department News

Term 3 is well and truly underway and with exams on the horizon it is imperative that students are spending time at home preparing by practicing classwork questions.

Most Mathematics subjects are currently working on assignments. Students seeking extensions are reminded a medical certificate is required.

Maths Club is on every Tuesday afternoon in the library 3:00pm to 4:00pm. Attendance numbers are growing each week and will peak prior to exams. It is a clear indication of the positive academic attitude at Miami SHS. I would encourage all students to attend. Once again I thank all the Maths Teachers who give up their own time each week to support the students.

Along with the Canterbury Maths Teams Challenge success, we have been busy with the Australian Mathematics competition and have ICAS Mathematics approaching. A group of 115 students sat the Australian Mathematics competition in the hall on the 28 July under exam shutdown conditions. It was a fantastic experience for the junior secondary students to be working alongside our strongest Year 11 and 12 Mathematicians. The ICAS Mathematics exam takes place on the 16 August with the same group of selected students. We eagerly await the results.

We are also sending a two mixed teams of Year 7/8 students to compete in the Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers - Maths Quiz. The competition has five rounds featuring questions about general mathematical knowledge, mental computation, written computation, problem solving and estimation. This regional round is being held at Hillcrest College on August 18 so preparations are well underway.

I trust all students will be well prepared for their mid semester exams and we look forward to more academic growth, taking our strong Mathematics results to a new standard of excellence.

Todd Campbell
Mathematics Head of Department

Languages Department News
MLTAQ Gold Coast Speech Contest

MLTAQ Gold Coast Speech Contest is being held on Sunday 14 August at Griffith University. The participating students are preparing for the contest and practising their speech every week. It is an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate their language ability. We wish them all the best.

Amy Nishijima
Japanese Teacher

Girls AFL - On Our Way to the Top

Miami SHS AFL Girls Qld Cup team are kicking goals and have progressed through to the semi-finals. The girls beat Springfield Central SHS at Ormeau AFC, 78-11. The convincing result can be attributed to the girl's commitment and passion for AFL. Bianca Perry was a force to be reckoned with as our ruck-woman. Stand-out performances by Jyrah Bradfield and Deniz Ada. The team now go on to play in the semi-final of the AFL Qld Girls Cup at Yeronga AFC on the 11 August. The girls are busy training for this game and look forward to a tough match. Congratulations to all the girls and go Miami SHS!

New Olympic Sport Provides Vocational Pathway at Miami State High

Miami State High, a proud independent public high school, is excited to announce the launch of Rugby 7s as their latest sports' curriculum subject for students in Years 9.

This is the first specific Rugby 7s curriculum program to be offered by an independent public school in Queensland under the auspices of Queensland Rugby Union (QRU). The subject content, delivered by QRU coaches, includes learning the rules of the game, game strategies and in Year 10 the students work towards a coaching competency. It is a vocational pathway for sporting students. For future players this sport presents an opportunity to travel the globe as this growing sport is being played by countries throughout the world.

The subject was initiated by a number of Year 9 Miami State High School girls who play the sport for Bond Pirates Rugby club, who have also sponsored the student's training jerseys.

Matt Chapman, Miami State High School's Rugby Sevens teacher says, "32 students, both boys and girls, have taken up Rugby 7s as a subject this semester, which also includes a co-curricular component with an after school competition starting right during the Rio Olympics on 10 August.

"Rugby 7s, a variant of rugby union, has a unique skill set. The sport is fast with seven-minute halves and teams are made up of seven players. The 7s player needs to be an all-round athlete showing great endurance, speed, strength and bravery."

QRU have assisted in offering coaching clinics for the teachers as well as identifying the upcoming talent within the Miami Sports Excellence program on offer to students in Years 7 and 8.

"Queensland Rugby is excited to partner with Miami State High School on what is a pioneering program. Importantly the program not only supports the players on the field but also in the classroom," says Joel Johnston, Head of Diversity and Pathways at QRU.

"We are pleased to support the program that aims to develop the next generation of players and coaches as well as provide inspiration and aspiration through our high achieving Queensland Academy of Sport Women's 7's Squad'.

In addition to the coaching, QRU will also be seeking guest speakers and invitational teams to meet the students who participate in the program.

"We will also be hosting our Queensland Women's Academy of Sport 7s squad training at Miami SHS from time to time to promote the pathway," states Joel Johnston.

This year at the Rio Olympics Rugby 7s is being debuted by 12 men's and woman's teams. Miami State High School would like to wish the Australian teams all the best in Rio and hope they bring home the first Rugby 7s gold Olympic medals.

Rugby 7s was traditionally a core sport for men only, however a women's competition will also be added to the program for the first time at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.

A new generation of players might grow up wanting to become an Olympian instead of a Wallaby.

Matt Chapman
Rugby 7s Teacher

Instrumental Music News

The Instrumental Music department departed for the GCCC Convention Centre at Mt. Tamborine last week for their annual Music Retreat. This year the program saw all 5 ensembles attend the 3 day camp with 60 students and 5 staff attending. The retreat was also joined by prominent music educator, musician, composer and adjudicator Mr. Mick Morgan who gave the students two days of inspired instruction, conducting and a woodwind masterclass that will go down as one of the finest seen at our school.

Busy long days and frenetic activities including our annual Talent Quest made for a wonderful three days culminating in a massive amount of work being achieved by all students involved.

A special thank you must go to Ms. Stacey Bolton, Miami SHS's String Teacher for once again producing great results with our String students, Glen Barratt, Head of Arts for her tireless work behind the scenes in assisting the staff, Mr. Cassidy Wilson for being a fantastic team player and mentor for the students, Mr. Alex Burgess for assisting in a number of roles over the time and to Mr. Scott King for his work with our two concert and two Jazz bands.

Congratulations to our students all for a wonderful and productive camp.

Instrumental Music Team

Instrumental Music students in action at the Music Retreat

Miami High Dance Xtreme 2016

"Chookas" to the Dance Xtreme students, who will be competing in the Gold Coast Eisteddfod's Secondary School sections on Friday 12 August. The Secondary Schools sections are always extremely tough with over 20 entries in each genre grouping from both state and private Secondary Schools from the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast. The Dance Xtreme students will be performing two routines in the jazz and contemporary sections. Both routines have been choreographed by the program's Artistic Director.

Miranda van't Hof
Artistic Director I Dance Xtreme Program

Student Articles

Who was the wizard in charge of this OZ-mazing production?

The crew at Miami High School went all out this year at the annual M Factor. This year's theme: "The Wizard of Oz"! I sure had an OZ-mazing time!

The production was full of talented acts pouring their hearts and souls into their singing, dancing and playing their musical instruments and of course, in the hosts' case – joke telling. Some acts were heartfelt and beautiful, some were humorous and every act showcased amazing talent.

My personal favourite was 'Two left feet' although, in my opinion, they had anything but two left feet. They started with a bang and had the audience laughing and cheering. I wasn't surprised when they received first place.

The Barra Boys, one of Miami High's finest acts, competed on M Factor for their last time, in their last year and this was their last performance. The Barra Boys kept the audience upbeat and happy, which was lovely to see.

The food was great and the acts were amazing, so, all in all, a great night! The hosts of the show did an amazing job. They made everyone laugh and kept everyone entertained between acts. Congratulations to the prize recipients and thank you to all the acts for a great night. I know that I will definitely be attending next year!

Cherise Harrison
Year 9 student

Miami's got the M Factor

Excitement filled the air as Miami High's annual talent show, M Factor, went off with a bang. The Wizard of Oz themed show had an amazing turnout, with approximately 400 people and 22 participants. The Show had everything from singing to dancing, leaving the audience wanting more.

Students of Miami High's student council got into character, dressing up as people from the film. The venue was also designed to look just like Oz, with its very own yellow brick road and pots of flowers lining the side of it. The mix of amazingly talented acts and realistic set made the whole show a great success. Cherise Harrison, an audience member said, "I loved the show. There were some really amazing acts and they set it up really well."

Despite the fact that all of the acts were incredibly talented, only a few would place. In third place was a young pianist and singer, Ned Etherington, and second place went to a Year 12 guitarist, Kyle Pridmore. First place was awarded to the ultimate crowd favourite, 'Two Left Feet', a tap and jazz dance duo. Other crowd favourites included Miami High's infamous boy group, The Barra Boys, who were dancing along to the mashup of many different popular songs.

All in all, the show was a great success! If you wish to contact Miami State high School, you can call them on (07) 5554-0333 or visit the school website.

Amira Aboukoura
Year 9 Student

Great Miami Chess Challenge Results

On Friday, 29 July, Miami chess players attended the King's Chess Challenge Tournament and we had some great results against 40 players from around the Gold Coast. Pavlik Yakhnitsia won 3rd place in the B Division and Manomai Tirumalasetti, Divisha Tirumalasetti and Michael Goodman earned Merit Awards for winning most of their games.

Our Miami chess players continued to perform very well at the Gold Coast Team's Event Championships on 3 August. Due to our strong Term 2 results, with teams placing 3rd and 4th, our top rated team was promoted to the Premiership division to play for the right to represent the Gold Coast at the State Chess Championships. This was a massive step up for our players and I was very impressed with the efforts of our Premier team of Michael Goodman, Joey Thomas, Manomai Tirumalasetti and Alex Young who finished in 7th place overall. Top performer on the day was Manomai who won 4 games, taking down some very strong opponents. Two players also won Merit Awards for outstanding play in the B Division. Both Emre Aslan and Jake O'Neil won 4.5 games, with Emre finishing 9th overall, our strongest individual result on the day. I am very proud of how all players represented Miami while versing the Gold Coast's best and brightest chess schools. Next up is Term 4's Individual Age Chess Championships at Emmanuel College where I am certain we will continue to have some outstanding results. Any students interested in being a part of our fun and exciting Chess Club can join us any Tuesday in I04 from 1:00-1:40, all abilities welcome.

Matt Smith
Miami Chess Coach

Participants in the Miami Chess Challenge

It is almost time for the Miami High SPELLING BEE.

Last year the Spelling Bee was introduced as a fun and educational way to introduce students and to motivate students to study spelling words. The Spelling Bee aims to foster healthy competition and to recognise excellence in learning. This year we have opened the competition to students in Years 7 to 10. After a rigorous pre-selection program we have identified 30 finalists who are eagerly attending practice sessions every 2nd Thursday during Term 3. The Spelling Bee will be held in the Great Hall on Monday 12 September, 2016 starting at 3.30p.m. Everybody is welcome to come along and support our Super Spellers. We hope to see you there.

Jenni McCarthy
Year 7 Teacher

Interested in promoting your business at Miami?

Miami State High School would like to invite our families and community to be a part of our Miami Valued Partners (MVP) Program. We are seeking community-minded businesses and individuals to collaborate with our school.

We would like to invite our school families and community to partner with us in this venture by joining the business directory for $50 per calendar year to promote your business. Membership also includes an invitation to the MVP quarterly events.

We are also excited to announce an exciting development to this initiative with the upcoming launch of our new MVP website. The business directory will be accessible though this website. It will also showcase the upcoming MVP events.

In addition to the business directory, there are four other partnership levels available for community-minded businesses to support the school with various return-on-investment opportunities. These can be discussed and negotiated with Mr Jason Cross, Deputy Principal.

If you know of past Miami alumni, the MVP program also aims to connect them back to the school in a practical and mutually beneficial manner.

If you are interested in promoting your business (no matter how big or small) we would love to hear from you so that you can be included in the business directory. Please email Jason Cross, Deputy Principal –Senior Secondary at jcros40@eq.edu.au or call (07) 5554-0333 to sign up.

SCU Year 12 Parent Information Evening

If your child is in Year 12 and considering Southern Cross University, join us at this free event where you can gain helpful insights into the journey from high school to university and beyond. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and seek information to assist you in preparing for this exciting new chapter.

How close are you to your teen? How much do you know about them?

Help us understand how parenting and family relationships affect teen behaviour and emotions. Participate to go into a draw to win two movie tickets.

If you have a teenager between the ages of 11 and 18 years old, complete a brief and anonymous 30-minute survey about your parenting, your relationship with your teen and their wellbeing. Your teenager can take part in a similar anonymous survey about their behaviour and emotional wellbeing. Your participation in our research is greatly appreciated. This research is completely voluntary and confidential. For further information and to take part in the survey, please visit the link provided below or contact: parentingteens@psy.uq.edu.au .

WELLBEING UPDATE

We have started this term with our Year 11 Wellbeing Day on 26 July. Our presenters included: Simon Santosha from Men and Family Counselling and he spoke on Healthy Relationships for boys, Nicole Joy on Mindfulness and Body Image for girls, AODS who delivered valuable information on Drugs and Alcohol, Brad Huddleston on the Dark Side of Technology and Three Worlds who conducted a Drumming Workshop. The feedback from the students was very positive especially with Brad Huddleston who spoke on 'The Dark Side of Technology' a very relevant topic in all of our lives. We would like to thank all of our presenters for their continual support to the Miami High Wellbeing Program.

Our Parent Information Night was conducted on 27 July with Brad Huddleston our guest speaker. Brad presented valuable information to parents about the effects of too much digital technology on teenager's brains and how to combat this to keep our students healthy. The feedback from parents was overwhelming positive and thankful for the opportunity to attend these education sessions.

Along with our Parent Teacher Interviews we had our first Wellbeing Expo which allowed parents to access some of the organisations that support our Wellbeing Program. Thanks again to all our community groups that provided valuable information for our school.

Coming up this term is our Year 8 Wellbeing Day on 18 August and Year 12 Wellbeing on 13 September. Both days have an exciting line up covering all important topics for teenage wellbeing.

WELLBEING TIP

What are you thinking?

Our brains have up to 60000 thoughts per day. Most of these thoughts are negative ones worrying about something that has happened in the past or what's going to happen in the future. These thoughts tend to create anxiety and stress which can lead to long term illness.

Change your thoughts and you change your wellbeing! Positive thoughts create a positive vibe and reduce stress and anxiety. How do we think positive? Firstly, look on the bright side of life. Practice gratitude, stop gossiping, stop complaining, practice meditation, exercise, do a kind deed for someone and smile. When you are positive, you are more relaxed and dealing with more challenging situations becomes easier.

Remember, you are what you think!

Community News

Gold Coast Oral Health

Gold Coast Oral Health Services are offering free dental check-ups to children in Years 7, 8, 9, 10

This service will be provided off-site by either Broadbeach or Burleigh Dental Clinic. Hours of operation for this clinic are Monday to Friday, 8 – 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 the link below.

Tennis Central

TENNIS ANYONE?

Tennis Central is offering tennis for all standards after school each day. We have Hot Shots, Elite Program, Miami High School Squad, Adult lessons, Competition and much more!

Tennis Director Sophie Letcher is a grand slam tennis professional, come down to the courts and say hello.

First Lesson is free.

For further information contact info@tenniscentralmiami.com or 0479 159 533.