Hills Times - 2023 - Term 1 - Edition 3

It was magical to hold our first community assembly on Friday, but as is so typical for Hills, the rain was present to try and halt proceedings! Although we had to modify this event, we were able to showcase student learning (thank you 1LN) and acknowledge the great success achieved by many students. Well done to these students who achieved College L.A.W.S. and of course Prategh Sandhu, our Head of Primary awardee, who received numerous nominations for his outstanding attitude, respect, and pride in self, community, and others.

Over the past two weeks, we have been pleased to welcome our new students, Jessica and Joshua Albert, Danishveer and Dhanveer Aulakh and Korbon Drakoulas to the College. It has been fabulous catching up with you and seeing you settle in so beautifully.

We pride ourselves on setting high expectations and we know the satisfaction our students experience in striving for these continually. We would ask that you assist in reinforcing some common challenges some students face, primarily with uniforms. These include not having the correct uniform (wearing sports on a formal uniform day), wearing non-religious jewelry or incorrect earrings, or not bringing in their hat. A quick check and reminder or a message to acknowledge an issue with an aspect of their uniform would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks for your partnership in reinforcing these expectations.

Finally, I would like to extent my gratitude to Mr. Callum Pope, who has supported Prep T as their Teacher Aide over the past four weeks. On behalf of our College community, thank you for the positive impact you have had on our Prep students and your support of our staff.

Please do not hesitate to contact me via email or phone if you have any concerns or queries or if you require clarity on any aspect of our beautiful College.

Mr. Matthew Noel
Head of Primary

matt.noel@hills.qld.edu.au

Days of Excellence

Some of our Primary students recently attended the enrichment program, Days of Excellence, in Week 5. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to participate in Science, English and Mathematics workshops. Here is what our students had to say:

Willow and Tariq - Year 2 “We learnt codes and building blocks for locks. It was very interesting.”

Rose - Year 1 “I was involved in some amazing story writing. We looked at creating exciting ideas.”

Mahalia - Year 3- “We learnt about narratives and metaphors. It was awesome and I cannot wait to use metaphors in my writing.”

Angelina - Year 6 – “I was part of a writing workshop where we explored tragedy and thrillers. I learnt many new aspects of writing including the art of suspense. This is when you slowly delay an answer and then you suddenly reveal it as a surprise to the audience. It was a great experience!”

House Captains Community Initiative

Logan Council 2023 World Environment Day Calendar Competition

The House Captains recently introduced the Logan Council 2023 World Environment Day Calendar Competition at Friday’s assembly. Students from Prep to Year 6 are encouraged to create artwork (using a variety of media including technology) using the theme of 'connection to country- this land is me' and the art may possibly end up as a cover for the 2023 Logan City Council calendar.

This year’s theme encourages students to reflect and explore on their connection to nature and place, as well as discover our First Nations’ history, values, and connection with country. Students can think about how their lives are woven into the natural environment around them and what it means to them, and what makes Logan’s biodiversity special.

All the House Captains will decide upon the top ten drawings in each grade. Once they have chosen artwork from each year level, they will pass it on to Mrs. Barnard. Students then chosen will get their artwork submitted to Logan Council and be in the running for some great prizes.

Please submit your artwork to Ms. Henry in E block (E1). She will be in the classroom during Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at morning tea.

All drawings must be submitted by 23 March. Please do not forget to put your name on your artwork.

Primary House Captains

In the spotlight with Prep T

“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” – B.B. King

If that isn’t the sincerest quote, I don’t know what is! The past five weeks in Prep T have been incredible, filled with more learning opportunities and successes than I could have imagined! The students have shown so much enthusiasm and resilience, taking on all the new challenges and perspectives of being a “big school kid” with immense positivity. They have developed skills in so many areas; routines, friendships, risk-taking, goal setting, and more.

Our focus this term began with settling into our new environment, specialist lessons and school routine. That was achieved quite quickly so we have been able to move into more fun and structured literacy learning experiences of late.

We have well and truly begun our journey into reading and writing. This is something that every student is feeling very proud about. The “lightbulb” moments are constantly happening, giving everyone the motivation to keep on growing. It feels very surreal and exciting to know that only five weeks into the term, the preppies are already blending, reading and writing simple words using the /s/a/t/p/i/n/ sounds!

The inquisitive minds amongst us are also loving our current Unit of Inquiry How We Organise Ourselves, many thanks to the fun and adventurous mapping activities we have engaged in recently. With the help of our class mascot Stella, we have enjoyed exploring all the different locations around the College campus, focusing on features of and connections to places.

I would love to take a little moment to thank Mr. Pope for all his support and care over the past four weeks, in Miss Parer’s absence. The students in Prep T have taken such a liking to Mr. Pope and are surely going to miss him. We are at the same time very excited to welcome Miss Parer back next week!

Happy learning,
Mrs. Tomlinson

Prep T Teacher

The Role of Questioning to Support Understanding

Using questions in the classroom is important because it promotes active learning and helps students develop critical thinking skills. By asking questions, teachers can encourage students to explore new ideas, make connections between different concepts, and engage in deeper learning. At Hills, questioning plays a crucial role in promoting inquiry-based learning and developing critical thinking skills. Our teaching team uses a variety of different questions on a daily basis that each have a different purpose and intended outcome. Please see below a few uses for questioning, and ways that you can support these development areas at home:

Encouraging exploration: Teachers use open-ended questions to encourage students to explore and discover new ideas. At home, parents can do the same at home by asking questions that encourage their child/children to think about different possibilities and explore various options. For example, "What do you think would happen if we tried this?" or "How else could we approach this problem?"

Promoting thinking: Questions are used by our classroom teachers to challenge students to think deeply about a topic and make connections between their prior knowledge and new information. At home, parents can promote thinking at home by asking their child/children thought-provoking questions that encourage them to think beyond the surface level. For example, "Why do you think that happened?" or "What might be another explanation for what we're seeing?"

Assessment: Questions are used to assess students' understanding and track their progress. At home, parents can also use questions to assess their child's understanding of a topic or to check in on their progress. For example, "Can you explain what you just learned in your own words?" or "What's one thing you still have questions about?"

Engaging students: In a PYP classroom, questions are used to engage students in discussions, debates and brainstorming activities. At home, parents can use questions to engage their child/children in conversations about topics that interest them, encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas, and challenge them to think more deeply. For example, "What's your opinion about this?" or "How else could we solve this problem?"

Encouraging reflection: In a PYP classroom, questions are used to encourage students to reflect on their learning and make connections to real-life situations. At home, parents can encourage reflection at home by asking their child/children questions that help them think about what they've learned and how they can apply it in real life. For example, "How could you use what you learned today to solve a problem you're facing?" or "What did you learn from that experience?"

Stuart Ablitt
Deputy Head of Primary/Head of IB Programs

stuart.ablitt@hills.qld.edu.au

Secondary Insights

Welcome to the Term 1, Week 6 Hills Times

As we enter the second half of the term in Secondary, it is important to understand what has been an important part our journey thus far. For students, this means assessing their progress in their learning environments and reflecting upon the goals they set for the term. I encourage you as parents to look at the Parent Portal for the College calendar for all of the upcoming events. This calendar also reflects the teaching and learning checkpoints as well as the final date for submission with assessments.

Queensland HPE Week was a celebration of Health and Physical Education in Queensland Schools. It was an opportunity for Hills College students to continue to understand the importance of physical activity and healthy living. Our Year 7 – 10 program continued on with the promotion of swimming instruction as well as engaging with Life Saving. This is so important for our student to be able to swim confidently and to enjoy the experiences this brings to each of them. In addition to promoting physical activity and healthy living, the week also aimed to raise the importance of HPE in the curriculum. HPE plays a vital role in helping students to develop their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. HPE also teaches important life skills such as teamwork, communication and leadership.

Our NAPLAN Practice Tests were undertaken last Friday. The purpose for the practice test was to ensure all students knew what to do with the NAPLAN platform and to understand the skills required for reading, writing and mathematics. Students familiarised themselves with the format and structure to ensure they would become more confident in the lead up to actual tests. which begin March 15. Parents, there are many online resources available if you want to practise the skills with your children.

This week, our Years 7 – 11 attended various camps. Attending the camps provided a range of benefits for our Hills College students such as learning new skills in a safe and supportive environment. Attending a camp often required students to navigate these new environments and to take on new responsibilities. Building confidence and self-esteem were a focus, as well as facing new and challenging situations. These camps also offered opportunities for students to meet new people and to form new friendships. In the next edition of the Hills Times, reports and photos will add to the enjoyment of reading Hills Times.

A gentle reminder that all Hills College students need to undertake the following as per our Secondary College procedures;

* signing their phones in to Student Central upon arrival at the College

* ensuring their devices are fully charged for the seven sessions ahead of them in the College day

* log into Teams to ensure the learning is completed and that the assignments set are completed before the due time

* regularly check their TASS calendar to ensure they meet the checkpoints required for each assessment

If you could encourage them as parents, we would certainly appreciate that.

We continue to embrace the support you provide for us at the College as parents and together knowing that your children are supported, cared for and taught well through the excellent planning and preparation undertaken by our amazing staff.

If you have any questions or would just like to speak with me, please either email or contact reception for a time when this can happen.

Together, we know that this is a Place to Belong.

Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton

Head of Secondary

julie-anne.skelton@hills.qld.edu.au

Teaching and Learning - Excursion to a performance of Hamilton

On Tuesday 21 February, Year 11 and Year 12 students from various classes went to Hamilton, the American Musical at the Lyric Theatre in QPAC. Hamilton is about the life of the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, from the American Revolution all the way up to his death. The show is written by Grammy winner Lin Manuel-Miranda and premiered on Broadway in 2016. Since then, the show has completed a full North American tour, UK tour, and now an Australian Tour.

The show has over 20,000 words and runs fast at 122 words per minute. The music incorporated many genres such as hip hop, R & B, soul jazz and many others. We were lucky enough to see it and it was so cool to see the stage moving, the lights, the dancers, and the actors' work! The show taught us a bit of everything, and it was a surreal experience. We would love to thank Dr Pope for organising the trip, and the staff who attended with us.

Jack Parer

Year 12 Student

Teaching and Learning - An Excursion to MacArthur Museum

Year 10 Modern History students attended an excursion to Brisbane City to visit the MacArthur Museum and ANZAC Square’s World War II Galleries.

Students explored Queensland’s Wartime History and Australia’s involvement in the Pacific War. They visited General Douglas MacArthur’s office, preserved as if it was the 1940s, and even sat on his real chair, as well as at his real Wartime conference table! They then finished the day with a visit to the World War II Galleries in ANZAC square, where students engaged with a number of primary sources and photographs via the digital touchscreens peppered throughout the galleries.

Thanks to Mr Whaley, Sensei Toki, and Mrs Panther for supervising with me. We are so glad that students had the chance to engage with history, and are proud that they displayed the Hills LAWS throughout this day.

Alexandria Salmon

Humanities Teacher

Netball Zone Trials Success

On Monday 19 February, Cleo McClaren and Caoimhe Stone attended the Jimboomba Netball Association for the Beaudesert Zone Netball trials. They were the only two primary students from Hills College who attended and they faced really tough competition. Caoimhe was successful and has been selected to progress to the Pacific District Netball Trials on 8 March. Congratulations to Cleo for your efforts and we wish Caoimhe the best of luck in the Districts.

Alexandria Rose

Hills Reporting Team

Wednesday afternoon activities

Hills International College allows our secondary school students to have extra-curricular classes for Wednesday afternoon activities. There is a wide selection of options to choose from including board games, D.E.A.R (Drop Everything and Read), touch football, 1 billion stars (art project), the Arts production, taekwondo, Primary service, volleyball, reporting for the Hills Times, fantasy role-playing, and mountain biking.

Students receive more chances to get to know each other better, learn new things, and get to grow more. These activities give students more opportunities to build bonds with other students with similar interests so they can converse and connect throughout high school. A lot of these activities allow creativity and develop interests in students that they did not even know they had.

Board games is a great activity as it helps your brain build memory, logic, and reasoning. The production helps bring out character and allows acting skills to develop. If you like running around and getting energetic, touch football would be a great option in a fun, social environment. The art project can help boost confidence and make us feel more engaged and resilient. Besides these benefits, art engagement also alleviates anxiety and stress.

Another amazing active activity is taekwondo, which helps with body development, reflexes, and mental body awareness. The goal of this martial art is to give a sense of self-esteem, knowledge of self-defense, and heightened mental and physical health. Students are actively engaged every Wednesday afternoon in this variety of activities.

Breeya Peterson and Harnoor Anand
Hills Reporting Team

You Choose presentation

On Wednesday 15 February, Year 11 attended a captivating presentation from YouChoose, the Youth Road Safety program. Students were presented with the tragic consequences of poor choices by a young man their own age. The presentation caused us all to understand that we should listen carefully and think of ourselves and others on the road at all times. The impact on so many people from one poor choice touched our hearts. In the end most of the grade were in shock and saddened by the events we were presented with.

We thank YouChoose for spreading this awareness to our school and we hope that the presentation helps students to think carefully about their actions and make choices that avoid tragic consequences.

Caitlyn Underdown

Hills Reporting Team

Cross Country Community event

The last fortnight has been all about two of our newest students who joined the Academy in 2023. Ella Gould has been playing tremendously and has improved with every round that she has played. Last week, she broke the magic 100 barrier for the first time and posted another winning total of net 65. At the start of the year, I said that she will make our Intercollegiate girls' team if she could get her handicap under 40. She has taken up the challenge and has already reduced the handicap to 34 (started at 45). It is an absolute delight to see her making such improvements so quickly.

The other player showing tremendous form is Tiger Xie. Tiger has a wonderful work ethic and is down training every morning before breakfast, and then works on his game at the end of each day after school and/or in his training sessions. Tiger is showing the rest of the students what is required to make it to the top. His scores are showing just that as he has recorded rounds of 71, 69, 77 and 70 in the past 4 weeks.

Another student who has been much more consistent this year has been Hayato Abe. Hayato also works hard on his game and is a regular on the driving range before school and on the weekends. These boys are leading the way with their insatiable work ethic and others are starting to pay attention.

It is always nice to hear about our former students playing well after they leave Hills. College Champions, YoYo Susanto and Mirabel Ting, both had great wins playing in the USA recently. YoYo won his first US Collegiate tournament for Campbell University (North Carolina) when he shot rounds of 72,70 for a total of 2 under par. Mirabel won her very first outing representing Augusta State University with rounds of 68,67,68 to win in a playoff against the world #2 ranked Amateur. Fantastic to see both students playing nicely against a highly ranked field.

It has been an excellent start of the year for all the students and we welcome Samuel Tan from Singapore as our newest student. Sam is already a solid golfer and we look forward to seeing him progress over the year,

Until next time, Good Golfing

Mr Tom Berndt

Director of Golf

tom.berndt@hills.qld.edu.au