3 June 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

As we pass the midway point of term 2 there has been a great deal to celebrate and to be excited about.

Miami High continues to be on the Regional, State and World stage with achievements recently in academic, sporting and leadership success as we continue to focus on our vision of ‘World Class Education’ to generate global citizens.

Without a doubt the outstanding achievement of the Year 7 Humanities Stellar class needs to be celebrated. This class participated in the ‘Education Perfect World Series’ competition recently against hundreds and thousands of students across the globe. In a nutshell, the results these students produced were simply outstanding with Miami State High School being ranked 53rd school in the world that participated in this series. Please take the time to read the full results and report further on in this newsletter and on our schools Facebook page.

Congratulations in the Student Leadership sector to Mady Hall, Amira Aboukoura and Nola Getova. School Captain Amira and Student Council President Mady have both been selected to represent Australia at the Global Young Leaders Conference with the United Nations in Washington DC and New York in July. These two outstanding young leaders are the only students in Queensland to be selected which is an absolutely outstanding achievement.

Nola was recently selected to represent the Gold Coast City Council’s Junior Council Executive which is another outstanding achievement. Nola is one of the very few public school students on the Gold Coast selected to hold a seat on the prestigious Junior City Council.

Whilst Miami High is constantly renowned for team success in Regional and State wide competitions we also value and celebrate outstanding individual performances, many of which are in the Sports Report that follows. However, the level of achievement of Ruben Rees is worth mentioning with his recent selection in the Australian Junior Swimming Team which has seen him compete in the prestigious French Open Water Nationals this past week.

NAPLAN

Earlier this month our years 7 and 9 students sat the annual NAPLAN tests. Many hours of preparation and dedication by staff and students go into making this week as smooth and successful as possible. I am confident that our students will perform to the best of their ability and it is important to remember that the results of these tests are only a small measurement of each child’s performance at a certain point in time. At Miami we value all forms of teaching, learning and assessment instruments to ensure each child’s strengths across a diverse range of fields are measured and valued. As I mentioned in my Facebook post, it’s the students individual talents and positive attitude that we are always most proud of.

Student Attendance

With just over 4 weeks to go until the end of term 2, we ask that your children make that extra effort to be punctual, attend school daily and give their very best. We understand that as we head into the winter months more illness arises, however a commitment to making every day count by attending every day (outside of illness) can only enhance student learning and outcomes. Our Deans of Students are currently working hard to bring attendance snapshots to students and families to ensure everyone is familiar with the key role attendance plays in academic and social performance.

Parent Engagement

As part of Miami State High School’s Strategic Plan parent engagement is a focus to ensure teachers, parents and students work alongside each other. The first two years of my tenure at Miami State High School and in line with the School’s Strategic Plan certainly focussed on what was needed ‘in house’ specifically focussing on Teaching & Learning to ensure every student succeeds through research based High Impact Teaching Strategies and enhancing relationships. We are now in the second phase of our Strategic Plan and Teaching & Learning Framework to strengthen parent engagement in the learning process and in areas of need.

To help assist the school with designing forums next week you will receive a letter via Schoolzine email with a link to a survey so your views can be collated on what topics are of particular interest to you. I encourage you to participate in this survey so that together we can enrich the lives of our students.

I would like to bring to your attention however that the first informal Principal and Parent Forum will be held on Wednesday 19 June from 5:00pm to 6:00pm in the Library. The forum will be focussing on the research of The Art and Science of Teaching and how this framework is embedded into school life at Miami. There will be more details via our social media platforms and Schoolzine in the next couple of weeks.

Bus Pick Up/ Drop Off Zone

The Council are powering ahead with our new Bus Pick Up/ Drop Off Zone. In a recent meeting with Council it was indicated that the completion date is now ahead of schedule and will likely be completed by the end of June. This is fantastic news for our school community to ensure progress and above all the safety of our students away from the highway.

Thank you to all families for your continued support of Miami State High School. I can assure you that together with staff we are working incredibly hard to continually improve the opportunities and quality of education for our students – your children.

Mrs Sue Dalton
Principal

Dates to Remember

Portfolio Update

Connect Portfolio

This term the connect portfolio are fundraising for another well-deserved charity, the animal welfare league. We will be asking the Miami High community for a gold coin donation in return to be a part of Miami High’s pet photo wall. Within that photo competition we will have specific categories which you can put your pet into, for example the weirdest sleeping position. We will have people from the Animal Welfare League come in to judge our pets for their nominated categories and winners will be announced on assembly in Week 8. Also the Animal Welfare League has been kind enough to bring along some pets for a little show and tell on assembly, so let’s do our part Miami and start getting your photos prepared!

Boston Jackson (Connect Portfolio Leader)

Inspire

Come dressed in your state of origin coloured shirts on Wednesday 5 June and provide a gold coin donation to your period 1 teachers. Normal school shorts are required. Please note that any students in shirts not maroon/red or blue will be out of uniform and will be sent to the deans office.

Ryan Cook (Inspire Portfolio Leader)

Respect

Finally our recycling bins and bags have arrived. We are seeking families and students to help us run our recycling project at Miami High. Orange bags can be collected from the library. These need to be brought back to the school every second Friday starting 31 May on the grassy area near the bus stop and basketball courts. House points will be allocated to each student who returns a full bag. A prize will be rewarded to the highest number of bags returned by a student in 2019. The year 9 Humanities classes, who are currently doing a geography unit on human impact on the environment have become involved in collecting cans and bottles for a competition between classes. The bins have been placed around the school and we are encouraging students and staff to put the correct items in the correct bins. All containers with the 10c on them can be placed into the bags or bins. All money raised will be going back to the Respect Portfolio for projects and resources around the school. If you have any questions contact Mrs Schnitzerling on 55540333, mschn26@eq.edu.au

Sophie Chilvers (Respect Portfolio Leader)

Introduction of HeartMath to SEP

Miami High’s SEP facility is one of the first in Australia to integrate HeartMath into its programming, and we could not be more excited to do so. HeartMath is an innovative tool to improve emotional wellbeing. It uses Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to measure the quality of communication between the heart and the brain, which directly affects how we feel and perform. With HeartMath, students ‘hook up’ to the program on a regular basis, first learning how to build coherence (optimal physiological state) using breath and positive thinking, before practicing it through a series of games and challenges. Once competent, practicing this technique becomes instilled in students, making up part of their everyday functioning, allowing them to become the very best versions of themselves.

Mrs Kellie-Anne King
Supportive Education Teacher

Deaf/ Hard of Hearing News

As educators, something I think we can all agree on is that every student deserves equal and available access to their learning environment, their curriculum and the wonderful opportunities happening in their wider school community. Our Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students are no exception and it is only through the hard and passionate work of our Deaf Support team that they are able to thrive and participate in their schooling alongside their hearing peers.

Therefore, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to the various support roles we have within the school and acknowledge the incredible work they do in supporting our DHH students.

ALM (Auslan Language Model)

As many of our students’ first or working language is Auslan, these Deaf members of staff are vital in maximising their access to the curriculum and supporting each child’s understanding of all content being delivered. Their role includes:

• Working alongside DHH students to break down sophisticated content and topics (from English to Auslan) to support improved conceptual awareness and comprehension.
• Relays interpreted instruction to student/s (in Auslan) to support language development and improve overall understanding.
• Monitors and assists ‘best practice’ from our Educational Interpreters to ensure they are providing accurate and accessible information for student/s.
• Developing Auslan rich resources to support and assist our students in accessing their learning environment more effectively
• Educating students and staff on Deaf culture, community and identity and how these play a significant part in the lives of our students

EI (Educational Interpreter)

Our hardworking interpreters are the ‘heart’ of our team, ensuring our DHH students have access to all language and content elements of their learning environment. Their role includes:

• Interpreting all teacher delivery and class discussions in Auslan, to ensure students have complete access to every aspect of their learning environment.
• Interpreting important key concepts, facts and information delivered by the teacher in a mode that matches the student’s language level and supports them in their understanding.
• Supporting students during independent work (occasionally alongside an ALM) to break down sophisticated language and concepts and help with comprehension of the tasks.
• Pre-reading and preparing lesson plans and outlines to ensure they are interpreting the necessary content effectively and proficiently.
• Providing support in a Teacher Aide capacity as well when required.

Notetakers

These wonderful staff members support our DHH students in the classroom and ensure they have access to all spoken and written content that was delivered by the teacher. They are a valued part of our team!

ToD (Teacher of the Deaf)

The Teacher of the Deaf is a qualified teacher with training and experience in Deaf Education. They work in collaboration with all members of the Deaf Support team while supporting our DHH students in reaching their learning and literacy goals. Their role includes, but is not limited to:

• Supporting and advising the Deaf Support team of best practice in their roles from an educational perspective.
• Providing assistance to staff on effective pedagogical practices to support DHH students further.
• Outlining recommended adjustments to be implemented in the learning environment for individual DHH students
• Working closely with staff to effectively differentiate tasks and assessments based on the individual needs of DHH students
• Working one-on-one with DHH students to pre and post teach high-level concepts and develop educational learning plans to support their goals

As you can see, our Deaf and Hard of Hearing students have a wonderful and passionate team supporting them here at Miami and we cannot wait to see them ‘reach for the stars’ this year!

Ms Clare Best
Teacher of the Deaf
Supportive Education Services

Year 7 Humanities Class Excels in International Humanities Competition

Recently the year 7 Humanities Stellar class competed in the Education Perfect Humanities World Series competition. Miami students competed against 300,000 students from 2,200 schools in 28 countries.

Internationally our global ranking was 53rd out of the 2200 schools that competed. Nationally we were 35th overall out of 894 schools. State wide we came in 9th overall out of 173 Queensland schools. These outstanding rankings, achieved by our top year seven Humanities students, are also a reflection of the excellent teaching of Ms Terri Barton-Thomas.

Special congratulations go to; Kiera Hardman and Alexa Kandov with Gold; Holly Armstrong, Silver; and Amalie Van Drimmellen, Bayden Newman, Indigo Miller with Bronze awards. In addition, Year 9 student Ben Little participated and received a credit, awesome work!

Mr Michael Vine
Head of Department – Humanities

Tournament of Mind (TOMs) 2019

Miami State High School are very pleased to offer Tournament of Minds again this year. What an exciting program for all students of diverse abilities, interests and specialities to engage their creative side and learn to collaboratively solve problems; helping our young people to succeed, much more capably, in our 21st Century world.

There are four disciplines or categories: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), Social Sciences, Language Literature and The Arts (new from last year). These are all in alignment with ACARA and the new curriculum for Senior School and ATAR.

If you would like your student to enjoy the benefit of the TOMs program, please encourage them to have a chat with Ms Yamazaki in J-Block staffroom.

We look forward to fostering a lifetime love of learning, helping our future world problem solvers blossom throughout this exciting 21st Century.

Ms Cheryl Yamazaki
Teacher – Humanities, Japanese and VETiS (Business, Events and Tourism)

Interact Trivia Night

Get your teams organised!! Miami State High Interact 4th annual Trivia Night is happening on the 12th June. Always heaps of fun, there will again be lucky door prizes, raffles and a BBQ available, so come along and make a night of it. This year we are supporting Destiny Rescue, an internationally recognized non-profit organisation dedicated to rescuing children trapped in the sex trade. Their vision is to rescue the sexually exploited and enslaved, restore the abused, protect the vulnerable, empower the poor and be a voice for those who can’t speak up for themselves.

They currently operate our various programs in Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Dominican Republic and India. Since 2011, they have rescued over 3500 trafficked or sexually exploited individuals around the world, and helped keep hundreds more from entering the sex trade through our various prevention programs, ensured justice for those who have been wronged, and raised awareness to untold numbers.

Cost for Trivia night, is $10 per person, payable at the door, you can register as a student or adult team of up to 6 people. The BBQ and bar will open from 5:30pm for a 6pm start for trivia. Book a table by emailing Karen Purdy kpurd12@eq.edu.au. We are also accepting any donations that could be raffle prizes on the night.

Our Interact Club is also looking for new members. Six years ago our club was formed by a group of students who really cared about our community and wanted to join together to tackle those issues that they felt strongly about. Their legacy lives on in our club as we continue to support organisations like Destiny Rescue and the contribution we made earlier this year towards the South East Queensland Drought Relief.

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18, is sponsored by Burleigh Rotary from whom we receive support and mentorship for all of our endeavours. Being in Interact helps our members develop leadership skills, make valuable connections, and be helpful and respectful to other members of our community, all the while having a lot of fun. Rotary youth have so many great opportunities from International Rotary Exchange to youth camps, all great opportunities, experiences and fun, of which many of our Miami students have taken advantage of. So if you have interest in helping others, being part of a large network that can support you and help you, and offer great opportunities you should come and see what we do. We meet Tuesday’s at first break in the D Block Dining Room (watch the notices), bring lunch and help us help others.

Nola Getova – Executive of Gold Coast Junior Council

Congratulations to Nola Getova in year 11, who has been elected to the Executive of Gold Coast Junior Council. Nola was extremely excited to be elected by school leaders from across the city. She was sworn in to office by Mayor Tom Tate in the GC Council Chambers and formally acknowledged by Councillor Pauline Young. Well done Nola!

Mr John Maitland
Junior Council Liaison Teacher

Excellence Programs 2020 Update

Excellence Program Applications, Trials and Auditions

The months of May and June are going to be extremely busy at Miami High with the application, trial and audition process for 2020 students hitting full steam ahead. The number of applicants for these programs has dwarfed those of previous years as word has spread about the huge changes these programs have undergone in 2019.

I would like to personally thank all of the applicants for stepping outside of their comfort zone and wish them the best of luck as look to secure positions for 2020 and beyond.

All applicants will be notified via email in Week 10 of this term.

I would also like to extend a massive thank you to all of Miami’s Excellence Program Coordinators (below) for their tireless work in providing the best possible opportunities for our students.

Danielle Stewart – Stellar Academic
Miranda van’t Hof – Dance
Scott King – Contemporary Instrumental Music
Pippa Twigden – Athlete / PEX
Matt Eastwell – Surfing Excellence
Ben Marshall – Touch Excellence
Matt Chapman – Girls Rugby 7s
Courtney Innes – Tennis

Mr Rob Petersen
Dean of Enrichment

Miami High Dance Xtreme 2019

The Dance Xtreme Program, now in its 14th year is designed as an extension program in Dance enabling students to further develop their abilities, undertake workshops with professional choreographers, showcase Miami High, compete at eisteddfods and foster primary links. The Dance Xtreme Students underwent a three-phase audition process to demonstrate their diversity as dancers. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the dancers who auditioned for their efforts. Students of the program are committed to an extensive rehearsal schedule, weekly lessons, competition at an elite level and the opportunity to teach primary students. On Monday 13 May, at a special presentation on the junior assembly, the students were formally introduced and presented with their Miami High Dance Xtreme kits followed by the announcement of the 2019 Miami High Dance Xtreme Captain, Gemma Laan. The 2019 Dance Xtreme students are: Rachel Staub, Kyra Pryde, Alex Palmer, Indy Vergotis, Lilla Dennett, Lily Grant, Elysium Hipwood, Kaylea Davis, Sienna Kearns, Ella Cooper, Lucy Wemyss, Maiya Stevens, Sophie Emerton, Zahra Friedrichs, Summer Williams, Samantha Hubbard & Sienna Penfold.

Congratulations is also extended to our Crew Leaders for 2019 who were also announced and presented with their certificates at the assembly. This year due to an increase in numbers, Miami has both a senior and junior girls crew. After her successful application for the position, Clara Martins de Carvalho returns as senior crew leader and Paige Dunstone and Lily Grant were selected as junior crew leaders for MGC!

Ms Miranda van’t Hof
Artistic Director I Dance Xtreme Program

Bond University National High School Mooting Competition

On Monday 13th of May Amira Aboukoura, Sophie Chilvers and Chumani Brooks took on the challenge of competing in the Bond University National High School Mooting competition. The ‘Bond Moot’ is an event for Year 11 and 12 students from every state and territory to develop their legal advocacy skills in a highly challenging and competitive environment. Each year students from over 100 of Australia’s most prominent schools battle it out in the courtroom in front of real judges, barristers and members of the legal profession. Amira and Sophie proved to be outstanding advocates, appearing before the court alongside Chumani as instructing solicitor. The judges commended both girls on their natural courtroom manner as well as their depth of knowledge on the more intricate and complex issues they applied from the precedent cases. These year 12 students have spent countless hours of rigorous preparation meeting until late in the evening and on weekends, researching and writing their submissions over the last few months. Mooting is an exceptionally difficult skill and involves developing an understanding of highly contentious and specific issues of law at a University level. Students are not just required to deliver a speech but rather need to prepare themselves to ‘think on their feet’ being rigorously questioned by judges on the strength and validity of their submissions. It takes an enormous amount of courage to present these arguments in a real-life courtroom environment. Congratulations to our 2019 Miami State High School Mooting team for representing our school at such a prestigious event.

Ms Naomi Robinson
Coach and Legal Studies Teacher

Mathematics Report

We have been very busy in recent times in the Mathematics department with both Teachers and Students working exceptionally hard.

NAPLAN 2019 is all completed and I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the work of the Mathematics teachers in Year 7 and 9. These staff understand the needs of their students and developed personalised numeracy preparation programs for their classes with pre and post testing data showing pleasing improvement. The students have also lifted to the challenges of growing and improving their Numeracy skills…well done!

Year 11 Students are sitting their first exams in all four of our new SATE subjects this week. This includes Essential Mathematics, General mathematics, Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics. Students have risen to the challenges of the increased academic rigour of these new subjects and we look forward to some strong results. Students have displayed resilience and a growth mindset. There will be opportunities to discuss any subject movements in the coming weeks.

At the end of this semester our year 10 students will have their exam. This is an end of semester exam encompassing work studied right from week 1 back in January. This exam, combined with the earlier mid-term exam will form the basis for reporting levels of achievement and subject prerequisites for 2020. To study Year 11 ATAR subjects, minimum grades must be met to be on a pathway to success in 2020. General Mathematics will require a C rating. Mathematical Methods will need a B rating and Specialist Mathematics will require an A rating.

Maths Club has been keenly attended this term and I would highly recommend students come along for support with homework and assessment. A big thank you to the students and teachers who give up their own time every Tuesday afternoon 2:30 – 3:30pm in D block.

Mr Todd Campbell
Head of Department – Mathematics

Dance Excellence Report

The Dance Excellence classes have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to participate in industry led workshops this term conducted by RAW. The Year 7 Dance Excellence students experimented with characterisation and movement in their musical theatre workshop and the Year 9 students pushed themselves to demonstrate the characteristics of hip hop which are sometimes difficult for technically trained dancers. The Year 8 Dance Excellence students have filled the studio this term with loud banging, clapping and stomping in their percussive dance unit. Their workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by all students and formed the basis to their collaborative percussive dance choreographic tasks to be performed at the end of this term.

Congratulations are also extended to a group of Year 8 Dance Excellence students who gave up many hours to raise money for the Cancer Council through the Relay for Life Challenge. It was wonderful to see you take part in a community event representing Miami High Dance Excellence. We are all extremely proud of your efforts.

Ms Miranda van’t Hof
Experienced Senior Teacher - Dance

Design Technologies Projects

Donations of FREE fresh food containers from Coles Welcome

You may have noticed if you shop at Coles that you can earn credits to obtain free fresh food containers when you use your Flybuys Card. When you have collected enough credits which appear on the bottom of your receipt you can redeem them for FREE containers. If you are not intended to use these containers yourself, the Miami State High Schools Design Technologies Department (Food Technology) would greatly appreciate any donations of the food containers of any size. We already have the vacuum pump. This offer only runs until July 2nd 2019, any donations would be greatly appreciated and can be left at the schools administration front office for collection.

Mrs Shelley Spence
Design Technologies Teacher

MySpace – Boomerang Bags Community Project

During the MySpace timeslot on the schools educational program on a Friday, a group of enthusiastic students have been making Boomerang Bags. Boomerang Bags is a global, grassroots movement connecting and empowering local communities to tackle plastic pollution at its source. The focus of this program has been to make reusable bags to be distributed and used in the local community. Students have learnt about fostering sustainable behaviours, diverting waste from landfill, developing community connections, learning a new skill and having fun.

In order to continue the success of the program into the future, donations of cotton fabrics of at least 1 metre in length would be greatly appreciated and can be left at the schools administration front office for collection.

Mrs Shelley Spence
Design Technologies Teacher

Year 8A Visual Art

Stop Motion Animation

Actively engaged, students arrive to each class and eagerly get straight into creating. They don’t simply film their Stop Motion clips, Mr Berton had the yr 8s consider construction techniques using modified found materials. Assembly of stability frames to minimise movement during filming, as well as reducing variation-of-vertical-camera-position between filming sessions. The idea of scoring cardboard into concertina sections for strength, with slotted inter-linking joints for stability was enlightening for many.

By merely guiding, subtly suggesting and encouraging students toward inquiry learning, Mr Berton aimed at bringing about a deeper understanding, in-turn these group’s had a fuller appreciation of involvement and a sense of pride in their ownership over the projects.

Not merely filming over a static background, Mr Berton had these students involve movement – implementing Blooms higher order thinking, it challenged the cohort. Most Clips were filmed left to right over a period of 15seconds, photographing 15 frames per second, and used an illustrated background width of 3xA3 landscaped sheets. It was an activity which involved various aspects of numeracy, whilst the visual interpretation of the clips was inspire by a prewritten narrative. Each student was expected to write a short story in any genre. Then together in groups, the best story was voted and then filmed by that group.

Mr Marco Berton
Teacher – Visual Art

Sports Report

There is a lot going on the world of sport at Miami SHS this term. With Cross Country trials last week, the school Track and Field Carnival this week, GIPSA selections and the first week of GIPSA sport later this term it is all happening.

Oceanic District Cross Country: Congratulations to the Miami SHS Cross Country team who competed at Pizzey Park on the 9th of May. It was a great day for racing and it was fantastic to see the quality and determination of all runners there on the day. Congratulations to all students who gained selection in the Oceanic team to attend the South Coast trials in early June. Please remember to pay your $20 to the school finance window and bring your South Coast Permissions and Details book back to Miss Gardiner in D block staffroom for signing.

A special mention to the following students who were named as the Oceanic District Age Champions for 2019:

13 Years Boys: Oliver Lloyd
14 Years Girls: Kali Byres
16 Years Boys: Will Brown

The Miami SHS community should be extremely proud of all students as we were named the Runners Up in the Oceanic District Champion Schools Competition on the day.

GIPSA Sport: GIPSA stands for Greater Independent Public Schools Alliance and is the interschool sporting competition that Miami SHS is part of alongside Varsity College, Southport SHS and Helensvale SHS. GIPSA is five full days of sport over terms two and three, where students are bussed to venues throughout the Gold Coast to compete against the other schools. Students were given the option of selecting the sport that they wish to participate in throughout the five days. In some cases there are some sports that have a numbers cap due to limited facilities or risk assessments. For these sports students will need to trial and once the team is selected any students unsuccessful at the selection will need to choose another sport. Student selections were due last week, so if your student has not yet selected a GIPSA sport please direct them to Miss Gardiner in D Block staffroom this week.

Finally, a massive congratulations to year 10 student Ruben Rees is in France after being selected in the Australian Junior Swimming Team as one of the most promising open water prospects in Australia. Ruben will be competing at the French Nationals in the 10km, 5km and team relay Open water events. We look forward to sharing Rubens results with you when he returns from this awesome experience!

Wellbeing Update

Taking care of our bodies is very important to ensure we function well at school and work. This includes getting plenty of sleep, diet, exercise and mindfulness or time to calm and quieten our minds. What we put into our body is just as important as all the others. We all know that eating well is important for our overall health and this includes what beverages we consume. Good hydration can prevent headaches, muscle cramps, crankiness and tiredness. Water is the best source of hydration to assist our body to reach its peak.

It is concerning that we see many students consuming energy drinks before school and after school. The ingredients in these drinks can have side effects such as increased heart rates, anxiety and jitters. These can cause damaging effects on our bodies and therefore our behaviour. When you are looking for a way to quench your thirst and keep ourselves hydrated water is the best choice!

The accompanying article will give some more insight on the dangers of energy drinks.

Mrs Tiffany Grant
Wellbeing Coordinator

The Dangers of Energy Drinks

By Dr Kellyann Petrucci

Energy drinks mask your fatigue by loading you with huge doses of caffeine. Many also contain taurine, which amplifies the effects of the caffeine. That’s why these drinks frequently cause anxiety, “jitters,” and insomnia.

In addition, most energy drinks contain large amounts of either sugar or artificial sweeteners. The sugar-sweetened ones spike your blood glucose, raising your insulin levels and packing on belly fat, while the artificially-sweetened ones wreak havoc on your gut bugs.

Even worse, when the effects of an energy drink wear off, you’ll crash—and that can tempt you to reach for a second drink or even a third one. Overdosing on energy drinks can raise your blood pressure, lead to cardiac arrhythmia, or in rare cases even cause cardiac arrest. More than 20,000 people wind up in the emergency room annually due to the side effects of these drinks.

The solution: safe, natural pick-me-ups

So what are you supposed to do when you’re ready to keel over but you need to keep running? Simple: Reach for a natural energy fix that will rev you up AND do your body good! Here are 10 of my favourites:

• Fat bombs. A small dose of healthy fat is one of the best energy boosters in the world, and fat bombs are a handy source of this fat. These are small, low-carb, high-fat snacks that carry a big nutritional punch, and it only takes minutes to whip up a batch; here’s one of my favourite recipes. (No time to make a batch of fat bombs? Then snack on a few pieces of avocado, some unsweetened coconut chips, a closed handful of nuts, or some olives, which will give you the same little blast of energy from healthy fat.)
• Jerky. Often, people run out of steam because they’re low on protein. If your breakfasts or lunches tend to be short on protein, nibble on a little beef or turkey jerky when the afternoon blahs strike. Look for jerky that’s made from pastured meat and contains no artificial ingredients.
• Bone broth. Bone broth is rich in amino acids that boost your energy and packed with minerals that brighten your mood. And it’s low in calories and has almost no carbs, so it’s a sin-free snack you can have any time.
• Collagen coffee. While energy drinks load you with too much caffeine, a cup of coffee has just enough to give you a boost without making you jittery. Add a dose of collagen to give your body some energizing amino acids.
• Matcha. This superfood, made from the ground leaves of green tea, energizes you and calms you at the same time. You can make matcha powder into a tea, add it to a smoothie, or even use it in fat bombs.
• Water. Often when we think we’re tired or hungry, we’re actually thirsty. (It’s called signal confusion.) So rather than reaching for that energy drink, have a tall, cool glass of water.
• Walking. I know that when you’re tired, the last thing you want to do is get out of your chair! But once you get started, you’ll rev up your circulation and immediately start to feel perkier. For an even bigger boost, climb some stairs.
• Yoga. If you’re home, do a few simple yoga poses—especially poses like downward dog, which will increase the circulation to your brain.
• Nature. Your body isn’t genetically engineered to spend all day in an office under artificial light—so if you can, schedule a quick outdoor walk each afternoon. Research shows that exposure to sunlight and greenery can improve both your mood and your job performance.
• Sleep. Okay, you can’t do this one on the job! But getting enough sleep before your day starts will help you stay alert later on. So set a regular bedtime for yourself, turn off your devices an hour before you turn in, and aim for at least seven or eight hours of sleep per night.

If the afternoon slump is a big problem for you, try these strategies and see what happens. My guess is that you’ll be able to kiss those energy drinks goodbye—and your body (as well as your budget) will be healthier as a result!

Keep thinking big and living BOLD!

Year 11 & 12 Arts in Practice

Visual Interpretation of a Song / CartoonMe Animate

AIP is a dynamic, very energetic learning environment currently. Year 11s have been tasked by Mr Berton to identify a suitable song to interpret its lyrics visually. Then these would be generated into a music clip (animated Gif) as specified by the QCAA AIP Syllabus – the inclusion of Music and Media. It’s an interesting, fun and rewarding task. The other yr12 composite half are learning that one can discover relationships between applications. A bridge in bringing Illustrator over to Animate (formally known as FLASH). They are Animating their CartoonMe task from Illustrator, by incorporating it into Animate, thus continuing the Project by becoming AnimateMe. The latter task is more an exercise in Self Inquiry Learning. With basic Tutorials provided, students were expected to delve deeper with their own research, to gain tailored information relevant to what each aimed to achieve. This was done with oversight and guidance from Mr Berton. Senior is more facilitation, and the encouragement of student helping students, focus being DA#6 around the use of students as a resource in teaching fellow students.

Within this same classroom we also have our Internationals across yr11+12 who are also undertaking their own program. One where they can take away a collection of learned mementos from their time here at Miami, whilst under the guided teaching of Mr Berton. These include the celebrated task known as Movie Poster, whereby students select their favourite Hollywood or other Promotional Movie Poster, and with an understanding of Photography, the importance of lighting, and techniques of seamless blending, they create themselves in situation becoming a Stars within those Posters. Another favourite being their own charm or keyring tag of their name generated from a hand written mark, through to a three dimensional, 3D printed piece. A thorough, enriching and involving learning task spanning several applications.

Mr Marco Berton
Teacher – Arts in Practice

Dynasty Sport

2019 has been an extremely exciting year for the Miami Valued Partners Program with a number of new partners jumping on board and our fantastic longstanding members continuing to create innovative opportunities for the Miami High Community.

Dynasty Sport has supported the MVP Program for a number of years and continue to be highly involved and supportive of our Rugby 7s programs.

Earlier this term at our Annual Rugby 7s Tournament, Dynasty donated branded visors for all competitors and an awesome full team kit to be given away as a prize. Congratulations to Varsity College who took out the sportsmanship award and received this awesome prize.

Thank you Dynasty Sport for the ongoing support!

Ms Catherine Crowe
Public Relations & Events Officer

MSHS Early Departure Policy

We, at Miami State High School, value the education of your students and believe that every lesson is crucial to the academic success of our students. As a result, we wish to remind parents and students of our Early Departure Policy as outlined on page 6 of our Student Planner (see below).

If a student requires an early departure from school, they must:

• Present a note from their parent/carer requesting permission to leave school to their Dean of Students for approval prior to 8:45am
• Once the note is signed, the student takes it to the Student Services office to collect a leave pass
• Please be aware that any other early departure from school needs to be approved by a Deputy Principal

Student Absentee Line

For all student absences please call our direct number on 5554 0334 or email absences@miamishs.eq.edu.au.

Leaving Forms

Parents, please note: If you are planning on leaving the school at the end of the year, please contact Christine Nowicki at Student Services on email cnowi1@eq.edu.au or 5554-0333 for the leaving form before the close of term.

Finance Office Trading Hours and Payment Options

Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 8.00am to 12.00pm (closed Friday).

Student Payment Times: Before school or during first break

Receipts will always be given for payments made over the counter and will always be available on request for payments made by Internet Banking or Credit Card over the phone

Kellie Johnston
Business Services Manager

Important Information from TransLink

Translink suggests using 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

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.

Kellie Johnston
Business Manager