Gateway Learning Communityc/o Balmoral State High SchoolThynne Road, Morningside, Qld 4170P.O.Box 120, Morningside, Qld 4170Phone & Fax: 07 3399 6821

GLC website: www.learningplace.com.au/sc/gbr/glc

All of the funny partsJeff Kinney, author of the hugely popular and best selling ‘Wimpy Kid’series spoke with hundreds of excited students from several localschools at Bulimba SS’s Michael Zeuschner Hall during a flying visit toBrisbane on 18 May. Jeff Kinney is a celebrity in the world of Australianchildren’s literature, which was borne out by the palpable atmosphereand huge line of fans that waited to meet him and sign copies of theirbooks at the end of the talk.

His philosophy to “write a story about all of the funny parts of growingup, and none of the serious parts,” has obviously hit the mark withyoung readers, encouraging them to read not one, but many in his series.

To get young students to read for pleasure, especially boys, is a goal of every school’s reading program and the ‘Wimpy Kid’ titles are currently playing a positive part in achieving this.

Thanks to Riverbend Books Suzy Wilson for recommending Bulimba SS as a great schooland community hub to Jeff’s publisher and,as part of the National Year of Reading, arranging the very special event.

Thank you also to Diane Lyons, Teacher Librarian at Bulimba SS, for managing the visit and invitations to local schools.

Riverbend Books hosts GLC Parent NetworkIn 2012 some eight networks of GLC teachers, parents and support staff are meeting regularly in person and/orcommunicating regularly via phone and email for the common purposes of improving the quality and efficiencyof the educational services GLC schools offer students, and building a sense of community between the sevenseparate campuses.

These networks range right across the spectrum of school roles from the GLC Governance Group of Principalswho meet to manage GLC business to GLC Business Services Managers, the GLC P&Cs Network, the GLC Cultureof Thinking Champions, the GLC Gifted and Talented Network, the GLC Early Phase of Learning Network and theGLC Science Sparks Network.

The GLC P&Cs Network, a group of representative parents from GLC schools, have been meeting regularly since2003 to share ideas and information and act as a two-way communication link between each school’s P&C.

This year the GLC P&Cs Network has been fortunate to have their term get togethers hosted by Riverbend Booksin Oxford St Bulimba. Owner Suzy Wilson and Events Coordinator Krysi Egan have welcomed the group, settinga cosy table within the book store.

At the first meeting for 2012 Suzy spoke about her role as a State Ambassador for the “National Year of Reading2012”. (see item below) Suzy offered to run for GLC schools evening events at Riverbend Books mixing a social outing for parents with an educational talk and discussion on the topic of early literacy. This has beentaken up by three of the schools to date- Bulimba SS, Seven Hills SS and Norman Park SS.

These ‘Magic of Reading’ sessions which explored how children acquire literacy and how parents can supporttheir children's literacy skills were very thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended!

Thankyou Suzy and Krysi forfacilitating these events andour network gatherings.

National Year ofReading 2012The National Year of Reading 2012 is an initiativethat highlights the importance of reading as a lifeskill and as a source of enjoyment. Libraries arepartnering with government, the media, writers,schools, publishers, booksellers, employers, child

care providers, health professionals and a whole host of other organisationsto share their passion for reading through a range of events and activitiesacross the nation in 2012

Suzy Wilson is a State Ambassador for National Year of Reading 2012.

Apart from her business Riverbend Books, which has won the Australian Independent Bookshop of the Year Award twice and the Queensland Independent Bookshop of the Year 7 times, Suzy Wilson is the founder ofthe national Indigenous Literacy Foundation and has been awarded the Dromkeen Award for her efforts in “being a catalyst in changing children'slives through literature”.

Suzy says of the National Year of Reading, “A year of celebrating books and reading! Could life get any better? I owe so much to books. They have given me great joy, companionship, knowledge. They have provided mewith both a job and an accompanying sense of purpose. Equality of opportunity needs literacy as an ally. It is essential for employment and we know literacy is a pathway out of disadvantage. It is an honour to be invitedto be a Queensland Ambassador and have the opportunity to join with many to support literacy initiatives”.

Suzy invites us to visit the National Year of Reading 2012 website- www.love2read.org.au

Left and below - Dance, one of several of The Arts taught at Balmoral SHS, exemplifies the overarching vision of Stateeducation to build a clever, skilled andcreative Queensland.

Students benefit from the vast experienceof expert Arts teachers across many disciplines. The young students picturedhere tried cheerleading, traditional danceand hip hop dance moves at the ‘BuildingBridges’ day.

Left - Balmoral SHS representatives Mr. Allan English, Mrs. Robin Martin - Head of English and The Arts, Mrs. SallySchmidt -Common Thread Production Director, Mrs. AllisonCrane - Principal, Mrs. Gerowyn Lacaze -Deputy Principaland Mr. Brad Forster-Head of Senior Schooling, attendedthe Showcase Awards evening and accepted the accoladeon behalf of all involved.

Left - Norman Park SS students Gemma, Rachael and Amy conducting an experiment in the Balmoral SHS Science labs,show just how much fun it is to have a go and try something new.

This attitude is encouraged in the school’s Leadership programwhich aims to builds a safe, supportive and challenging environment where students thrive academically, socially andemotionally. Students are encouraged to look to the future and setpersonalised goals, knowing that they have the learning pathwaysand support they need from the school to achieve them.

Below - Technologies is a broad learning area of the new National Curriculumthat involves the processes of designing, making and appraising the objects thatwe use in this modern world. These mainly skills-based subjects, like ManualArts, are keeping up with developments in the variety of pathways that lead lateron into School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships in careers such as engineering, carpentry and graphic design.

Here visiting students from local schools are shown workshop machinery that isused in the Manual Arts Dept at Balmoral SHS.

Above - Science in the high school usesexperiential learning to explore and explainscientific concepts. Junior science studieslead to the senior subjects of Chemistry,Physics, Biology and Aerospace Scienceat Balmoral SHS preparing students for avariety of vocational and tertiary studyoptions.

Calista, Karlos and Kurt from Murarrie SSare pictured here at a demonstration Science lesson at Balmoral SHS using aballoon and a water bottle to test thechemical reaction between dry ice andwater.

GLC NEWSLETTEREditor: Cherry Van RytEmail: cvanr5@eq.edu.auPhone/Fax: 3399 6821or 0407 972 242

The delight and surprise on the faces of the young students as theywatched the spectacular chemical reaction showed just how wondrous and amazing the natural world can be. Amazing enough,maybe, to ignite the beginning of a passion for Chemistry and set astudent on a life long quest of investigation and discovery in the field.

The students watching this experiment, and then experimenting withother chemical reactions themselves in the Science laboratories, wereattending a day of activities that Balmoral SHS recently hosted as partof the school’s ‘Building Bridges’ program.

Held in May, Year 7 students from Bulimba, Cannon Hill, Morningside,Seven Hills, Norman Park, Murarrie, Carina, Mayfield and Tingalpa SSsexperienced for a day what it is like to be a student at Balmoral SHS.They attended demonstration lessons in Science, Manual Arts andDance, and were mentored by high school student leaders who wereable to talk with them about high school subjects and life.

The ‘Building Bridges’ Program is one example of Balmoral SHS’scommitment to preparing primary school students for successful transition into high school. In the longer term the program also aimsto assist students and the wider community prepare for the 2015school year, when Year 7s will be moving to high school for the firsttime, aligning the Qld schooling system with the rest of Australia.

Common Thread, a project hosted by Balmoral SHS for the GLC and staged seven times since 2004, has been recognised by the Department of Education, Training and Employment at the 2012 Showcase Awards for Excellence.

By demonstrating how Common Thread links students to real world learning opportunities with Arts industry professionals and developing this learning into a wholly original, theatrical production, the project won a Regional Award for Excellence in Innovation.

Congratulations to all the Common Thread staff, industry mentors and students who have been involved over the years.

You can read more about the 2012 Common Thread production ‘It Matters’on the inside pages of this newsletter or for more general information visit the website www.commonthread.com.au

The Gateway Learning Community is Balmoral State High School, Bulimba State School, Cannon Hill State School, Morningside State School, Murarrie State School, Norman Park State School and Seven Hills State School.

I SSUE 34 SEPTEMBER 2012

The GLC newsletter aims to fill its pages with articles and as many colour photographs as possible of GLC students, staff and families experiencing and celebrating the enriching opportunities made available through the collaborative efforts of all of the sevenGLC school communities. As 2012 progresses several networks are meeting regularly and many projects and events are either well underway or have been successfully completed. Their diversity and quality is evident in these pages- from the wonderful ‘Big Day Out’ for our youngest students at Seven Hills State School to the successful Mother’s Day High Tea fundraiser for Chaplaincy; from the award winning Common Thread Youth Theatre Production to a Mathematics Professional Development Project for GLC teachers. Ten years on from its beginning, working together across the GLC has become part of the everyday fabric of how our local state schools function.

We trust you enjoy reading and viewing the photos in this issue of the GLC Newsletter brought to you by the generous advertising sponsorship of local businesses.

In 2015 specialist teachers will teach the National Curriculumin English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, The Arts,Technologies, Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship, HPE and Languages.

The school will be distinguishable as two distinct sub schools- Junior Secondary Years 7, 8 & 9 and Senior Secondary Years 10, 11 & 12, each with their own curriculum, uniform, school areas and student leadership.

Just like building a bridge, the steps in preparing for this major change needs to be carefully planned and supported.

Balmoral SHS will continue to host community engagement opportunities overthe next two years to provide information, build confidence and ensure a smooth transition for future students, in what is a very positive development in the educationof young people in Queensland.

Aspley3863 2688

Newmarket3352 7088

Chermside3350 2288

Bulimba3399 2388

Please support the local businesses who support the GLC

Above and right - Murarrie, Morningside and Norman Park SS students are pictured here getting directly involved in Manual Arts at Balmoral SHS- learning to use tools and making a pencil holder.

Building Bridges to High Learning

Excellence in Arts Innovation

Left - Pictured here in June at RiverbendBooks with host Krysi Egan (3rd from left) are GLC P&Cs Network reps, from left, Rachel Oudyn-Bulimba SS, Jacky King-Balmoral SHS, Rachel Godwin-Cannon Hill SS, Liz Heaton-Norman Park SS, Catherine Raff-Seven Hills SS & RobertStansfield-Murarrie SS.

Choose one of Sara B’s latest recipes as part of your favorite meal or serve all six

for a delicious feast with friends.

Everything you need is available from

Spring ProduceHere Now!

GLC website: www.learningplace.com.au/sc/gbr/glc

Above and right - 'Wimpy Kid' author Jeff Kinneypictured here meeting with, and surrounded by, hisyoung readers.

PHONE: 3407 8200 Shayne Sutton E: morningside.ward@ecn.net.au

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Professional Dog Walkers

Under 8’s Big Day Out hosted by Seven Hills SS for the GLC has become a bit like theEKKA-there are some activities that have become signatures of the event and withoutthem the day just wouldn’t…feel right.

Like the ‘Black Maze’. Simply constructed out of many upturned desks to create a windingtunnel, and draped with black tarpaulins to block out the light, intrepid explorers enter atone end and after much shuffling emerge red-cheeked and eager to see the sun at theother. And then they go around to the start and line up for another go.

Like the crazy clowns. Yr 7 students from Seven Hills SS all dress up in coloured outfits withfluorescent wigs and face obscuring makeup and noses. They wander about making funand engaging with the little ones, giving out goodies.

Like the Balmoral SHS Yr 11 and 12 Early Childhood student face painters. Every year, nomatter how many students are there to face paint, there is always a queue. As one saidthis year,“Many faces of eager children were painted with Spiderman, butterflies and vampires the most popular designs. The Under 8s were lined up and ready to betransformed as soon as we arrived. Under 8’s Day provides a valuable opportunity for us toobserve and interact with younger children, gain valuable understanding and develop experiences that encourage creativity. We all had a great day.”

Like the emergency services vehicles-police and ambulance this year, with lots of noiseand flashing lights and the opportunities for the children to climb in and around the vehicles, touching the equipment and getting up close to real life heroes.

Each year these and many more new and repeat activities, some pictured on this page, are discovered by a new group of early childhood students at this wonderful annual event.

Under 8’s Big Day Out is one of the major eventson the Seven Hills SS and GLC calendars involvingcollaborative planning by P-2 teachers from allparticipating GLC schools; involvement fromSeven Hill’s SS wider staff, upper school andP&C; and assistance from GLC school groundsmen in setup.

The event is made possible because of thecommitment to the event of the whole Seven

Hills SS community led by the school’s Principal Michelle Morrissey and event convener and teacher Lynelle Whittaker.

We are also very grateful for the continuing sponsorship from the wider community organised by Deanne Hansom from LJ Hooker Cannon Hill. This provided giveaways offruit, drinks and bakery items and also the inclusion of several activities.

Thank you to everyone involved for your generosity of spirit and hard work in making this day a joyful experience of early childhood for GLC students.

My name is Bonnie Morris and I am the

new “chappy” at Norman Park and

Bulimba SSs. I have lived in Australia

for six years after being a Guidance

Counsellor in America for over fourteen

years. I must say, I am enchanted with

this beautiful country.

Recently, I was encouraged through my church to recon-

nect with my love of being able to work with children

through the SU Qld. Chaplaincy program. I have found it both

rewarding and satisfying work. I am now a “chappy” at Nor-

man Park SS on Mondays and Tuesdays and at Bulimba SS

on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

During this first phase of my placement, I have found that

I can help others in these schools by being available and

approachable, and that by being involved and helping

makes others comfortable with me. What I am good at is

being there for the students and staff to talk and problem

solve. My goal is to have each child feel that they can

approach me and be comfortable in our interaction.

In collaboration with the school I plan to develop support

programs that are within my “chappy” profile to help

Norman Park and Bulimba SS students reach their

potential.I look forward to the rest of 2012 at I get to

continue to get to know the Bulimba and Norman Park

SS school communities.

Bonnie Morris,Chaplain, Norman Park and Bulimba SSs

Right - Crab racescourtesy of Pet City.

Below - Mr. Hooker Bear meets and greets.

Below - Murarrie SS boys get involved in a drawing activity.

Above - Common Thread members participated in twodays of intensive workshops with professional artists at theOld Museum at Spring Hill.

Below - Students warming up for a workshop outside theOld Museum at the Common Thread ’Intensive’ in lateMarch.

Downtown Toyota will donate $100 to GLC Chaplaincy for each new or used car purchased from Downtown Toyota. This offer is available to all parents and friends associated with the Gateway Learning Community (GLC).

News FlashMurarrie and Morningside SSs have just been approved for Chaplaincy funding for three years, which coincides with the

successful passage of legislation securing ongoing federal funding for Chaplaincy in

Australian Schools.

Above - Councillor Shayne Sutton getsbeading with young GLC students.

Right - Balmoral SHS Cheerleadersencouraged students to have a gowith their high jumping and acrobatic skills.

Above - Clowns and drums, with lots of colour and noise,were great attractions for the young students!

Above - Balmoral SHS Principal, Allison Crane, visiting herschool’s face painters at ‘Big Day Out’.

Left - Convenor Lynelle Whittaker shows State Memberfor Bulimba, Aaron Dillaway, around the activities atUnder 8’s ‘Big Day Out’

Below - Sometimes all you need to have fun is a few boxes.

The Program for Common Thread 2012 ‘It Matters’ tantalized the audience with seventeenthought provoking titles like ‘Destiny-Playing for your Life’ and ‘Magic Hat-It’s what youDo with it that Matters’. They only hinted at what to expect from each of the multi-mediaelements that made up this unique and extraordinary theatrical production.

Each element was completely different-giant translucent articulated whale puppets swamacross the stage; clowns irreverently joked, flipped and balanced; coloured umbrellas heldin dance twirled in unison; young actors enthralled viewers with their authenticity andcharisma; an original song called out for the world to listen. And so the production unfolded… all based around the 2012 theme of ‘the Butterfly Effect’.

2012 Artistic Director, Zoe Houghton, explained-“It has been said that something as smallas the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around theworld – Chaos Theory

The flapping of a butterfly’s wings represents a small change which causes a chain ofevents leading to large -scale change in the outcome of events. Had the butterfly notflapped its wings, the repercussions might have been vastly different and the world would

be a different place.

This concept of the Butterfly Effect became the ‘common thread’ for2012. It is, after all, an under-pinning and guiding principle for thisunique and inspiring festival of young people. It is truly a showcase oftheir ideas, concerns, dreams, passions and pleas.”

The central process that led to the staging of this wholly original, youththeatre production began in February. In weekly after-school workshops 83 students from five schools- Balmoral SHS andMorningside, Bulimba, Cannon Hill and Seven Hills SSs-were mentoredby arts professionals from the theatre, music, dance and film industries.Inspired by stories from the local and global community the studentslistened to, discussed, played with and shaped questions and ideasaround what really matters to them and how our actions, inactions andreactions shape the world in which we live and the people we become.

Those in the audience for the four shows were privileged to experiencethe theatrical realisation of all the work and creativity of these youngpeople.

Congratulations to all of the cast and crew.

Of the production team behind the scenes Zoe said, “The students’ fledgling talents werenurtured by a team of the most dedicated, passionate and tireless artists, mentors, teachers,technicians, facilitators and volunteers.” The GLC would like to thank here everyone involved in the production of Common Thread 2012.

Production Manager: Sally SchmidtArtistic Director: Zoe HoughtonSteering Committee Chair: Allison Crane (Principal Balmoral SHS)Story Tellers: Jenny Speed (Sisters Inside), Pastor John Dowell (Mama Renes), Di Ferguson (Beelarong St Community Farm)Artists and Production Team: Robin Martin, Tenille Bates, Shannon Bell, Joanne Roberts(Balmoral SHS); Suzannah O’Brien, Samantha Mills and Sasha Holland (Filmfox); Jason King; Jeff Turpin (Playmoves); Lucas Thyer (PixelFrame); Alan Buchan (Fretfest); Katrina Little; Tamsin McGuin; David Morton and Natasha-Rose Pizzica (Dead PuppetsSociety); Jason Glenright; Nick Woodforth; Joel Redding; Cherry Van Ryt (Gateway Learning Community); Joy Pohlner (Cannon Hill SS); Sandy McLennan (Morningside SS);Rebecca Ramsden, Bonnie Law, Dean Patrick (Bulimba SS); Michele Dalton (Balmoral SHS); Cathy Doueal (Balmoral SHS BSM); Gerowyn Lacaze, Juanita Oberle ( Balmoral SHS); GLC School Office Staff; Peggy Vlismas; Elisabeth Everest; Jared Hood; Mike O’Brien; Charmaine O’Brien; James Price (Balmoral SHS); Jackie Cann (Make Art Work);Alannah McFadzean (Old Museum Building)

And finally, thank you to our very generous sponsors. We sincerely appreciate yoursupport that enabled our students to work with great arts mentors and stage sucha high quality show.

Major Sponsor 2012 - Brisbane Airport CorporationPlus- Education Qld Showcase Awards for Excellence in Education

Grill’d BulimbaBalmoral SHS Parents & Citizens AssociationRicoh AustraliaCommon Thread Trivia Night donations from

Lorna Jane, Mary Ryan Books, Oxford 152, Perfect Living Giftshop, Plum Hair, Body, Beauty, Priestleys Gourmet Delights, Riverbend Books, SCIPS, Sole Podiatry, Stephanie's Urban Spa, Touch of Grace Nails & Beauty, Vitalife, Bulimba, Your Pick Flowers & Gifts, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore Cannon Hill, Baskin Robbins, Beauty in Style, Café Citrus, Coming Up Roses, Cr Shayne Sutton, Fig Tree Deli Camp Hill, Flowers on Oxford, Grill'd Bulimba, Holiday Inn Roma Street, Hosikozi Clothing, Kevin Rudd.

A simple piece of string was used to pose all sorts of mathematical propositions at aspecial Professional Development Session for 50 GLC Prep to Yr 3 teachers in June.

The session was designed to provide an introduction into the three year GLC ProportionalReasoning Project that is being conducted by a group of 40 Yr 4 to Yr 12 teachers fromsix GLC schools in partnership with a research team from the University of Queensland.Now in its second year, project participants thought it timely that teachers from theyounger classes also be introduced to the concepts of, and teaching methodologieshelpful in, building proportional reasoning skills. The session was run by two of ourUQ partners, Dr. Geoff Hilton and Dr. Annette Hilton, who demonstrated how the simplestof materials can actually be used very actively and creatively to demonstrate evenquite complex mathematical concepts.

Thanks to Geoff and Annette for their time, Morningside SS for the venue and theearly years staff who supported the project by attending this explanatory session.

The “Proportional Reasoning as a Key to Numeracy Across the Curriculum” is athree year ‘ARC Linkage Project’ funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), in conjunction with Education Queensland and SA Department of Education and Children's Services.

It aims to enhance student mastery of proportional reasoning through educational technology applications.

Common Thread ‘It Matters’

Gary CazzulinoChaplain, Balmoral SHS

GLC ChaplaincyHigh- tea-lightsChannel 7’s Kay McGrath surprised many of those attending the 2012 Mothers Day High Tea for GLC Chaplaincy, with the candidness of hercomments and manner, very different from the formal professionalism of a news reporter at work. No scripts or auto-cues in sight. InsteadKay regaled us with laugh-out-loud anecdotes about motherhood and her long and successful journalistic career. She also spoke poignantlyabout a topic close to her heart, the Daniel Morecombe Foundation, and commended the work done by schools and their chaplains in the support of young people. Kay was the guest speaker at this annual fundraising event for GLC Chaplaincy which this year saw around 250 mothers and friends enjoying a first class high tea of delicate savoury and sweet nibbles, coffee and tea.

The event was a resounding success, raising money to assist the Chaplaincy programs in GLC schools.

Many thanks to the GLC Chaplaincy Committee for planning the event; to our MC Norman Park SS’s Victoria Carthew (Bryant) who providedseamless transitions between speakers; to student leaders from Balmoral, Bulimba and Norman Park SSs; to catering coordinator Sarah Breckenridge and the hospitality students from Balmoral SHS for their professional service; to Bulimba SS for the perfect venue; and to administrative, event, ticket and raffle organisers Danielle, Natalie and Karen from Norman Park SS office, a magnificent effort.

Federal government funding for Chaplaincy is greatly appreciated but does not pay for all Chaplaincy expenses. Events such as the High Teaand sponsors like Downtown Toyota are vital to its continuation. Donations made towards Chaplaincy services in state schools are tax deductible.

Please contact any of the three participating school offices to arrange a donation.

Above - Kay McGrath, guest speaker at the 2012 Mothers DayHigh Tea for GLC Chaplaincy.

Below - Sarah Brekenridge (centre) with the Balmoral SHS student hospitality team preparing to serve high tea.

How long is a piece of string?

Right - The new kitchenettein the Chaplaincy Room atBalmoral SHS.

Below - Gary Cazzulino, BalmoralSHS Chaplain with Penny Cutting,South-East Brisbane Chamber ofCommerce President.

Greetings!

Some of you may have seen a recent article in theSouth East advertiser regarding the installation of amuch needed sink in the Chaplaincy office at Balmoral. A massive thank you must go to the South-East BrisbaneChamber of Commerce for their generous support ofour breakfast program. The Chamber conducted a yearlong fundraising campaign that raised $2,000 whichwe put towards having the sink installed. The sink isnow used regularly for washing up after breakky cluband during recess and is very much appreciated. So thank you Chamber and also Bunnings for theircontribution.Also I just want to personally thank all those who supported this year’s Chaplaincy High Tea in May and the team who made it possible. It was a great success and really showed the strong sense of community we have within the GLC. So thank you!

Above - Principal of Bulimba SS, Michael Zeuschner, assists Univserity of Qld researchers Dr. Geoff Hilton andDr. Annette Hilton at a recent Proportional Reasoning session for GLC Early Childhood teachers.

Below - A great grassy slope to slide down at ‘Big Day Out’

Left - The Common Tread costume was a T-shirt speciallyprinted for the 2012 show with a design based on thetheme of the Butterfly Effect.

Above - Jasmine- Bulimba SS, Maddie and Lilly- both fromBalmoral SHS, developing ideas for Common Thread.

Excerpt from The Butterfly Songfrom the Common Thread Song Team 2012A person is a person whether rich or poor

And acceptance is forgiveness no matter what they’ve caused.

Something small is still something heard,Your help could be the thing that changes the world.

And that’s why actions speak louder than words.Chorus

From the words we’ve spoken, from the hearts we’ve broken

Flutter of the wings, as we wish that we could fly... All of our mistakes, to forget them we try,But who am I?

Below - Melissa Everest, with the cast, addresses the audience at the end of the final performance of Common Thread.

Above - The Common Thread show maintained its pace by interspersing drama with film,dance, song and clowning. Pictured here are hip hop dancers, the Hilltop Hoods!

Below - Puppetry was a feature of this year’s CommonThread, with an improvised school of fish fashioned fromrubber gloves and two enormous articulated whales taking the stage.

Above and left- Physical Theatre requires actors to communicate through the actions of theirbodies rather than words as pictured here in Common Thread ‘It Matters’.

Above - A scene from KIDS RULE- Shouting to be Heard, one of the drama pieces inCommon Thread ‘It Matters’.

Left - Mikaela Brogan on stage in the multi-media ‘Senior Piece’ called DESTINY- Playing for your Life

Above- Morningside SS teacher Sandy McClennan and Cannon Hill SS teacher Joy Pohlner working with students from the puppetry team to make the whale for a Common Thread performance piece.

Above- Rehearsing at the Old Museum.

Under 8’s Big Day Out hosted by Seven Hills SS for the GLC has become a bit like theEKKA-there are some activities that have become signatures of the event and withoutthem the day just wouldn’t…feel right.

Like the ‘Black Maze’. Simply constructed out of many upturned desks to create a windingtunnel, and draped with black tarpaulins to block out the light, intrepid explorers enter atone end and after much shuffling emerge red-cheeked and eager to see the sun at theother. And then they go around to the start and line up for another go.

Like the crazy clowns. Yr 7 students from Seven Hills SS all dress up in coloured outfits withfluorescent wigs and face obscuring makeup and noses. They wander about making funand engaging with the little ones, giving out goodies.

Like the Balmoral SHS Yr 11 and 12 Early Childhood student face painters. Every year, nomatter how many students are there to face paint, there is always a queue. As one saidthis year,“Many faces of eager children were painted with Spiderman, butterflies and vampires the most popular designs. The Under 8s were lined up and ready to betransformed as soon as we arrived. Under 8’s Day provides a valuable opportunity for us toobserve and interact with younger children, gain valuable understanding and develop experiences that encourage creativity. We all had a great day.”

Like the emergency services vehicles-police and ambulance this year, with lots of noiseand flashing lights and the opportunities for the children to climb in and around the vehicles, touching the equipment and getting up close to real life heroes.

Each year these and many more new and repeat activities, some pictured on this page, are discovered by a new group of early childhood students at this wonderful annual event.

Under 8’s Big Day Out is one of the major eventson the Seven Hills SS and GLC calendars involvingcollaborative planning by P-2 teachers from allparticipating GLC schools; involvement fromSeven Hill’s SS wider staff, upper school andP&C; and assistance from GLC school groundsmen in setup.

The event is made possible because of thecommitment to the event of the whole Seven

Hills SS community led by the school’s Principal Michelle Morrissey and event convener and teacher Lynelle Whittaker.

We are also very grateful for the continuing sponsorship from the wider community organised by Deanne Hansom from LJ Hooker Cannon Hill. This provided giveaways offruit, drinks and bakery items and also the inclusion of several activities.

Thank you to everyone involved for your generosity of spirit and hard work in making this day a joyful experience of early childhood for GLC students.

My name is Bonnie Morris and I am the

new “chappy” at Norman Park and

Bulimba SSs. I have lived in Australia

for six years after being a Guidance

Counsellor in America for over fourteen

years. I must say, I am enchanted with

this beautiful country.

Recently, I was encouraged through my church to recon-

nect with my love of being able to work with children

through the SU Qld. Chaplaincy program. I have found it both

rewarding and satisfying work. I am now a “chappy” at Nor-

man Park SS on Mondays and Tuesdays and at Bulimba SS

on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

During this first phase of my placement, I have found that

I can help others in these schools by being available and

approachable, and that by being involved and helping

makes others comfortable with me. What I am good at is

being there for the students and staff to talk and problem

solve. My goal is to have each child feel that they can

approach me and be comfortable in our interaction.

In collaboration with the school I plan to develop support

programs that are within my “chappy” profile to help

Norman Park and Bulimba SS students reach their

potential.I look forward to the rest of 2012 at I get to

continue to get to know the Bulimba and Norman Park

SS school communities.

Bonnie Morris,Chaplain, Norman Park and Bulimba SSs

Right - Crab racescourtesy of Pet City.

Below - Mr. Hooker Bear meets and greets.

Below - Murarrie SS boys get involved in a drawing activity.

Above - Common Thread members participated in twodays of intensive workshops with professional artists at theOld Museum at Spring Hill.

Below - Students warming up for a workshop outside theOld Museum at the Common Thread ’Intensive’ in lateMarch.

Downtown Toyota will donate $100 to GLC Chaplaincy for each new or used car purchased from Downtown Toyota. This offer is available to all parents and friends associated with the Gateway Learning Community (GLC).

News FlashMurarrie and Morningside SSs have just been approved for Chaplaincy funding for three years, which coincides with the

successful passage of legislation securing ongoing federal funding for Chaplaincy in

Australian Schools.

Above - Councillor Shayne Sutton getsbeading with young GLC students.

Right - Balmoral SHS Cheerleadersencouraged students to have a gowith their high jumping and acrobatic skills.

Above - Clowns and drums, with lots of colour and noise,were great attractions for the young students!

Above - Balmoral SHS Principal, Allison Crane, visiting herschool’s face painters at ‘Big Day Out’.

Left - Convenor Lynelle Whittaker shows State Memberfor Bulimba, Aaron Dillaway, around the activities atUnder 8’s ‘Big Day Out’

Below - Sometimes all you need to have fun is a few boxes.

The Program for Common Thread 2012 ‘It Matters’ tantalized the audience with seventeenthought provoking titles like ‘Destiny-Playing for your Life’ and ‘Magic Hat-It’s what youDo with it that Matters’. They only hinted at what to expect from each of the multi-mediaelements that made up this unique and extraordinary theatrical production.

Each element was completely different-giant translucent articulated whale puppets swamacross the stage; clowns irreverently joked, flipped and balanced; coloured umbrellas heldin dance twirled in unison; young actors enthralled viewers with their authenticity andcharisma; an original song called out for the world to listen. And so the production unfolded… all based around the 2012 theme of ‘the Butterfly Effect’.

2012 Artistic Director, Zoe Houghton, explained-“It has been said that something as smallas the flutter of a butterfly’s wings can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around theworld – Chaos Theory

The flapping of a butterfly’s wings represents a small change which causes a chain ofevents leading to large -scale change in the outcome of events. Had the butterfly notflapped its wings, the repercussions might have been vastly different and the world would

be a different place.

This concept of the Butterfly Effect became the ‘common thread’ for2012. It is, after all, an under-pinning and guiding principle for thisunique and inspiring festival of young people. It is truly a showcase oftheir ideas, concerns, dreams, passions and pleas.”

The central process that led to the staging of this wholly original, youththeatre production began in February. In weekly after-school workshops 83 students from five schools- Balmoral SHS andMorningside, Bulimba, Cannon Hill and Seven Hills SSs-were mentoredby arts professionals from the theatre, music, dance and film industries.Inspired by stories from the local and global community the studentslistened to, discussed, played with and shaped questions and ideasaround what really matters to them and how our actions, inactions andreactions shape the world in which we live and the people we become.

Those in the audience for the four shows were privileged to experiencethe theatrical realisation of all the work and creativity of these youngpeople.

Congratulations to all of the cast and crew.

Of the production team behind the scenes Zoe said, “The students’ fledgling talents werenurtured by a team of the most dedicated, passionate and tireless artists, mentors, teachers,technicians, facilitators and volunteers.” The GLC would like to thank here everyone involved in the production of Common Thread 2012.

Production Manager: Sally SchmidtArtistic Director: Zoe HoughtonSteering Committee Chair: Allison Crane (Principal Balmoral SHS)Story Tellers: Jenny Speed (Sisters Inside), Pastor John Dowell (Mama Renes), Di Ferguson (Beelarong St Community Farm)Artists and Production Team: Robin Martin, Tenille Bates, Shannon Bell, Joanne Roberts(Balmoral SHS); Suzannah O’Brien, Samantha Mills and Sasha Holland (Filmfox); Jason King; Jeff Turpin (Playmoves); Lucas Thyer (PixelFrame); Alan Buchan (Fretfest); Katrina Little; Tamsin McGuin; David Morton and Natasha-Rose Pizzica (Dead PuppetsSociety); Jason Glenright; Nick Woodforth; Joel Redding; Cherry Van Ryt (Gateway Learning Community); Joy Pohlner (Cannon Hill SS); Sandy McLennan (Morningside SS);Rebecca Ramsden, Bonnie Law, Dean Patrick (Bulimba SS); Michele Dalton (Balmoral SHS); Cathy Doueal (Balmoral SHS BSM); Gerowyn Lacaze, Juanita Oberle ( Balmoral SHS); GLC School Office Staff; Peggy Vlismas; Elisabeth Everest; Jared Hood; Mike O’Brien; Charmaine O’Brien; James Price (Balmoral SHS); Jackie Cann (Make Art Work);Alannah McFadzean (Old Museum Building)

And finally, thank you to our very generous sponsors. We sincerely appreciate yoursupport that enabled our students to work with great arts mentors and stage sucha high quality show.

Major Sponsor 2012 - Brisbane Airport CorporationPlus- Education Qld Showcase Awards for Excellence in Education

Grill’d BulimbaBalmoral SHS Parents & Citizens AssociationRicoh AustraliaCommon Thread Trivia Night donations from

Lorna Jane, Mary Ryan Books, Oxford 152, Perfect Living Giftshop, Plum Hair, Body, Beauty, Priestleys Gourmet Delights, Riverbend Books, SCIPS, Sole Podiatry, Stephanie's Urban Spa, Touch of Grace Nails & Beauty, Vitalife, Bulimba, Your Pick Flowers & Gifts, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore Cannon Hill, Baskin Robbins, Beauty in Style, Café Citrus, Coming Up Roses, Cr Shayne Sutton, Fig Tree Deli Camp Hill, Flowers on Oxford, Grill'd Bulimba, Holiday Inn Roma Street, Hosikozi Clothing, Kevin Rudd.

A simple piece of string was used to pose all sorts of mathematical propositions at aspecial Professional Development Session for 50 GLC Prep to Yr 3 teachers in June.

The session was designed to provide an introduction into the three year GLC ProportionalReasoning Project that is being conducted by a group of 40 Yr 4 to Yr 12 teachers fromsix GLC schools in partnership with a research team from the University of Queensland.Now in its second year, project participants thought it timely that teachers from theyounger classes also be introduced to the concepts of, and teaching methodologieshelpful in, building proportional reasoning skills. The session was run by two of ourUQ partners, Dr. Geoff Hilton and Dr. Annette Hilton, who demonstrated how the simplestof materials can actually be used very actively and creatively to demonstrate evenquite complex mathematical concepts.

Thanks to Geoff and Annette for their time, Morningside SS for the venue and theearly years staff who supported the project by attending this explanatory session.

The “Proportional Reasoning as a Key to Numeracy Across the Curriculum” is athree year ‘ARC Linkage Project’ funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC), in conjunction with Education Queensland and SA Department of Education and Children's Services.

It aims to enhance student mastery of proportional reasoning through educational technology applications.

Common Thread ‘It Matters’

Gary CazzulinoChaplain, Balmoral SHS

GLC ChaplaincyHigh- tea-lightsChannel 7’s Kay McGrath surprised many of those attending the 2012 Mothers Day High Tea for GLC Chaplaincy, with the candidness of hercomments and manner, very different from the formal professionalism of a news reporter at work. No scripts or auto-cues in sight. InsteadKay regaled us with laugh-out-loud anecdotes about motherhood and her long and successful journalistic career. She also spoke poignantlyabout a topic close to her heart, the Daniel Morecombe Foundation, and commended the work done by schools and their chaplains in the support of young people. Kay was the guest speaker at this annual fundraising event for GLC Chaplaincy which this year saw around 250 mothers and friends enjoying a first class high tea of delicate savoury and sweet nibbles, coffee and tea.

The event was a resounding success, raising money to assist the Chaplaincy programs in GLC schools.

Many thanks to the GLC Chaplaincy Committee for planning the event; to our MC Norman Park SS’s Victoria Carthew (Bryant) who providedseamless transitions between speakers; to student leaders from Balmoral, Bulimba and Norman Park SSs; to catering coordinator Sarah Breckenridge and the hospitality students from Balmoral SHS for their professional service; to Bulimba SS for the perfect venue; and to administrative, event, ticket and raffle organisers Danielle, Natalie and Karen from Norman Park SS office, a magnificent effort.

Federal government funding for Chaplaincy is greatly appreciated but does not pay for all Chaplaincy expenses. Events such as the High Teaand sponsors like Downtown Toyota are vital to its continuation. Donations made towards Chaplaincy services in state schools are tax deductible.

Please contact any of the three participating school offices to arrange a donation.

Above - Kay McGrath, guest speaker at the 2012 Mothers DayHigh Tea for GLC Chaplaincy.

Below - Sarah Brekenridge (centre) with the Balmoral SHS student hospitality team preparing to serve high tea.

How long is a piece of string?

Right - The new kitchenettein the Chaplaincy Room atBalmoral SHS.

Below - Gary Cazzulino, BalmoralSHS Chaplain with Penny Cutting,South-East Brisbane Chamber ofCommerce President.

Greetings!

Some of you may have seen a recent article in theSouth East advertiser regarding the installation of amuch needed sink in the Chaplaincy office at Balmoral. A massive thank you must go to the South-East BrisbaneChamber of Commerce for their generous support ofour breakfast program. The Chamber conducted a yearlong fundraising campaign that raised $2,000 whichwe put towards having the sink installed. The sink isnow used regularly for washing up after breakky cluband during recess and is very much appreciated. So thank you Chamber and also Bunnings for theircontribution.Also I just want to personally thank all those who supported this year’s Chaplaincy High Tea in May and the team who made it possible. It was a great success and really showed the strong sense of community we have within the GLC. So thank you!

Above - Principal of Bulimba SS, Michael Zeuschner, assists Univserity of Qld researchers Dr. Geoff Hilton andDr. Annette Hilton at a recent Proportional Reasoning session for GLC Early Childhood teachers.

Below - A great grassy slope to slide down at ‘Big Day Out’

Left - The Common Tread costume was a T-shirt speciallyprinted for the 2012 show with a design based on thetheme of the Butterfly Effect.

Above - Jasmine- Bulimba SS, Maddie and Lilly- both fromBalmoral SHS, developing ideas for Common Thread.

Excerpt from The Butterfly Songfrom the Common Thread Song Team 2012A person is a person whether rich or poor

And acceptance is forgiveness no matter what they’ve caused.

Something small is still something heard,Your help could be the thing that changes the world.

And that’s why actions speak louder than words.Chorus

From the words we’ve spoken, from the hearts we’ve broken

Flutter of the wings, as we wish that we could fly... All of our mistakes, to forget them we try,But who am I?

Below - Melissa Everest, with the cast, addresses the audience at the end of the final performance of Common Thread.

Above - The Common Thread show maintained its pace by interspersing drama with film,dance, song and clowning. Pictured here are hip hop dancers, the Hilltop Hoods!

Below - Puppetry was a feature of this year’s CommonThread, with an improvised school of fish fashioned fromrubber gloves and two enormous articulated whales taking the stage.

Above and left- Physical Theatre requires actors to communicate through the actions of theirbodies rather than words as pictured here in Common Thread ‘It Matters’.

Above - A scene from KIDS RULE- Shouting to be Heard, one of the drama pieces inCommon Thread ‘It Matters’.

Left - Mikaela Brogan on stage in the multi-media ‘Senior Piece’ called DESTINY- Playing for your Life

Above- Morningside SS teacher Sandy McClennan and Cannon Hill SS teacher Joy Pohlner working with students from the puppetry team to make the whale for a Common Thread performance piece.

Above- Rehearsing at the Old Museum.

Gateway Learning Communityc/o Balmoral State High SchoolThynne Road, Morningside, Qld 4170P.O.Box 120, Morningside, Qld 4170Phone & Fax: 07 3399 6821

GLC website: www.learningplace.com.au/sc/gbr/glc

All of the funny partsJeff Kinney, author of the hugely popular and best selling ‘Wimpy Kid’series spoke with hundreds of excited students from several localschools at Bulimba SS’s Michael Zeuschner Hall during a flying visit toBrisbane on 18 May. Jeff Kinney is a celebrity in the world of Australianchildren’s literature, which was borne out by the palpable atmosphereand huge line of fans that waited to meet him and sign copies of theirbooks at the end of the talk.

His philosophy to “write a story about all of the funny parts of growingup, and none of the serious parts,” has obviously hit the mark withyoung readers, encouraging them to read not one, but many in his series.

To get young students to read for pleasure, especially boys, is a goal of every school’s reading program and the ‘Wimpy Kid’ titles are currently playing a positive part in achieving this.

Thanks to Riverbend Books Suzy Wilson for recommending Bulimba SS as a great schooland community hub to Jeff’s publisher and,as part of the National Year of Reading, arranging the very special event.

Thank you also to Diane Lyons, Teacher Librarian at Bulimba SS, for managing the visit and invitations to local schools.

Riverbend Books hosts GLC Parent NetworkIn 2012 some eight networks of GLC teachers, parents and support staff are meeting regularly in person and/orcommunicating regularly via phone and email for the common purposes of improving the quality and efficiencyof the educational services GLC schools offer students, and building a sense of community between the sevenseparate campuses.

These networks range right across the spectrum of school roles from the GLC Governance Group of Principalswho meet to manage GLC business to GLC Business Services Managers, the GLC P&Cs Network, the GLC Cultureof Thinking Champions, the GLC Gifted and Talented Network, the GLC Early Phase of Learning Network and theGLC Science Sparks Network.

The GLC P&Cs Network, a group of representative parents from GLC schools, have been meeting regularly since2003 to share ideas and information and act as a two-way communication link between each school’s P&C.

This year the GLC P&Cs Network has been fortunate to have their term get togethers hosted by Riverbend Booksin Oxford St Bulimba. Owner Suzy Wilson and Events Coordinator Krysi Egan have welcomed the group, settinga cosy table within the book store.

At the first meeting for 2012 Suzy spoke about her role as a State Ambassador for the “National Year of Reading2012”. (see item below) Suzy offered to run for GLC schools evening events at Riverbend Books mixing a social outing for parents with an educational talk and discussion on the topic of early literacy. This has beentaken up by three of the schools to date- Bulimba SS, Seven Hills SS and Norman Park SS.

These ‘Magic of Reading’ sessions which explored how children acquire literacy and how parents can supporttheir children's literacy skills were very thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended!

Thankyou Suzy and Krysi forfacilitating these events andour network gatherings.

National Year ofReading 2012The National Year of Reading 2012 is an initiativethat highlights the importance of reading as a lifeskill and as a source of enjoyment. Libraries arepartnering with government, the media, writers,schools, publishers, booksellers, employers, child

care providers, health professionals and a whole host of other organisationsto share their passion for reading through a range of events and activitiesacross the nation in 2012

Suzy Wilson is a State Ambassador for National Year of Reading 2012.

Apart from her business Riverbend Books, which has won the Australian Independent Bookshop of the Year Award twice and the Queensland Independent Bookshop of the Year 7 times, Suzy Wilson is the founder ofthe national Indigenous Literacy Foundation and has been awarded the Dromkeen Award for her efforts in “being a catalyst in changing children'slives through literature”.

Suzy says of the National Year of Reading, “A year of celebrating books and reading! Could life get any better? I owe so much to books. They have given me great joy, companionship, knowledge. They have provided mewith both a job and an accompanying sense of purpose. Equality of opportunity needs literacy as an ally. It is essential for employment and we know literacy is a pathway out of disadvantage. It is an honour to be invitedto be a Queensland Ambassador and have the opportunity to join with many to support literacy initiatives”.

Suzy invites us to visit the National Year of Reading 2012 website- www.love2read.org.au

Left and below - Dance, one of several of The Arts taught at Balmoral SHS, exemplifies the overarching vision of Stateeducation to build a clever, skilled andcreative Queensland.

Students benefit from the vast experienceof expert Arts teachers across many disciplines. The young students picturedhere tried cheerleading, traditional danceand hip hop dance moves at the ‘BuildingBridges’ day.

Left - Balmoral SHS representatives Mr. Allan English, Mrs. Robin Martin - Head of English and The Arts, Mrs. SallySchmidt -Common Thread Production Director, Mrs. AllisonCrane - Principal, Mrs. Gerowyn Lacaze -Deputy Principaland Mr. Brad Forster-Head of Senior Schooling, attendedthe Showcase Awards evening and accepted the accoladeon behalf of all involved.

Left - Norman Park SS students Gemma, Rachael and Amy conducting an experiment in the Balmoral SHS Science labs,show just how much fun it is to have a go and try something new.

This attitude is encouraged in the school’s Leadership programwhich aims to builds a safe, supportive and challenging environment where students thrive academically, socially andemotionally. Students are encouraged to look to the future and setpersonalised goals, knowing that they have the learning pathwaysand support they need from the school to achieve them.

Below - Technologies is a broad learning area of the new National Curriculumthat involves the processes of designing, making and appraising the objects thatwe use in this modern world. These mainly skills-based subjects, like ManualArts, are keeping up with developments in the variety of pathways that lead lateron into School Based Traineeships and Apprenticeships in careers such as engineering, carpentry and graphic design.

Here visiting students from local schools are shown workshop machinery that isused in the Manual Arts Dept at Balmoral SHS.

Above - Science in the high school usesexperiential learning to explore and explainscientific concepts. Junior science studieslead to the senior subjects of Chemistry,Physics, Biology and Aerospace Scienceat Balmoral SHS preparing students for avariety of vocational and tertiary studyoptions.

Calista, Karlos and Kurt from Murarrie SSare pictured here at a demonstration Science lesson at Balmoral SHS using aballoon and a water bottle to test thechemical reaction between dry ice andwater.

GLC NEWSLETTEREditor: Cherry Van RytEmail: cvanr5@eq.edu.auPhone/Fax: 3399 6821or 0407 972 242

The delight and surprise on the faces of the young students as theywatched the spectacular chemical reaction showed just how wondrous and amazing the natural world can be. Amazing enough,maybe, to ignite the beginning of a passion for Chemistry and set astudent on a life long quest of investigation and discovery in the field.

The students watching this experiment, and then experimenting withother chemical reactions themselves in the Science laboratories, wereattending a day of activities that Balmoral SHS recently hosted as partof the school’s ‘Building Bridges’ program.

Held in May, Year 7 students from Bulimba, Cannon Hill, Morningside,Seven Hills, Norman Park, Murarrie, Carina, Mayfield and Tingalpa SSsexperienced for a day what it is like to be a student at Balmoral SHS.They attended demonstration lessons in Science, Manual Arts andDance, and were mentored by high school student leaders who wereable to talk with them about high school subjects and life.

The ‘Building Bridges’ Program is one example of Balmoral SHS’scommitment to preparing primary school students for successful transition into high school. In the longer term the program also aimsto assist students and the wider community prepare for the 2015school year, when Year 7s will be moving to high school for the firsttime, aligning the Qld schooling system with the rest of Australia.

Common Thread, a project hosted by Balmoral SHS for the GLC and staged seven times since 2004, has been recognised by the Department of Education, Training and Employment at the 2012 Showcase Awards for Excellence.

By demonstrating how Common Thread links students to real world learning opportunities with Arts industry professionals and developing this learning into a wholly original, theatrical production, the project won a Regional Award for Excellence in Innovation.

Congratulations to all the Common Thread staff, industry mentors and students who have been involved over the years.

You can read more about the 2012 Common Thread production ‘It Matters’on the inside pages of this newsletter or for more general information visit the website www.commonthread.com.au

The Gateway Learning Community is Balmoral State High School, Bulimba State School, Cannon Hill State School, Morningside State School, Murarrie State School, Norman Park State School and Seven Hills State School.

I SSUE 34 SEPTEMBER 2012

The GLC newsletter aims to fill its pages with articles and as many colour photographs as possible of GLC students, staff and families experiencing and celebrating the enriching opportunities made available through the collaborative efforts of all of the sevenGLC school communities. As 2012 progresses several networks are meeting regularly and many projects and events are either well underway or have been successfully completed. Their diversity and quality is evident in these pages- from the wonderful ‘Big Day Out’ for our youngest students at Seven Hills State School to the successful Mother’s Day High Tea fundraiser for Chaplaincy; from the award winning Common Thread Youth Theatre Production to a Mathematics Professional Development Project for GLC teachers. Ten years on from its beginning, working together across the GLC has become part of the everyday fabric of how our local state schools function.

We trust you enjoy reading and viewing the photos in this issue of the GLC Newsletter brought to you by the generous advertising sponsorship of local businesses.

In 2015 specialist teachers will teach the National Curriculumin English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, The Arts,Technologies, Economics and Business, Civics and Citizenship, HPE and Languages.

The school will be distinguishable as two distinct sub schools- Junior Secondary Years 7, 8 & 9 and Senior Secondary Years 10, 11 & 12, each with their own curriculum, uniform, school areas and student leadership.

Just like building a bridge, the steps in preparing for this major change needs to be carefully planned and supported.

Balmoral SHS will continue to host community engagement opportunities overthe next two years to provide information, build confidence and ensure a smooth transition for future students, in what is a very positive development in the educationof young people in Queensland.

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Above and right - Murarrie, Morningside and Norman Park SS students are pictured here getting directly involved in Manual Arts at Balmoral SHS- learning to use tools and making a pencil holder.

Building Bridges to High Learning

Excellence in Arts Innovation

Left - Pictured here in June at RiverbendBooks with host Krysi Egan (3rd from left) are GLC P&Cs Network reps, from left, Rachel Oudyn-Bulimba SS, Jacky King-Balmoral SHS, Rachel Godwin-Cannon Hill SS, Liz Heaton-Norman Park SS, Catherine Raff-Seven Hills SS & RobertStansfield-Murarrie SS.

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GLC website: www.learningplace.com.au/sc/gbr/glc

Above and right - 'Wimpy Kid' author Jeff Kinneypictured here meeting with, and surrounded by, hisyoung readers.

PHONE: 3407 8200 Shayne Sutton E: morningside.ward@ecn.net.au

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