Secondary Insights
Dear Parents and Guardians
As we approach the end of the term, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support throughout the term. It has been a challenging time, but we are proud of how our students have adapted to the learning environments within their Year levels.
We would like to remind parents and guardians to ensure that their children have completed all the necessary learning outcomes and assessments noted on the College calendar. It is also essential that students must attend all of their classes and assessments to achieve their academic goals.
We would like to congratulate all the students who have worked hard and excelled in their learning experiences and outcomes. Their dedication and commitment have been noticed and we are proud of their achievements.
Furthermore, we would like to remind students that the end of the term is not the end of their learning journey. It is essential to keep up the momentum and maintain a positive attitude towards their learning as Term 2 approaches. Remember, learning is a continuous process and there is always room for improvement.
Finally, we wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable break. Students, take this time to rest and recharge. Parents, spend quality time with your loved ones and come back refreshed for the new term. Our Term 1 reports will be published Tuesday 9 April, in week 2 of the upcoming holiday.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing you next term at our Secondary Parent Teacher interviews to discuss the teaching and learning outcomes from the Term 1 reporting on Tuesday 26 April from 3.30 p.m. - 7.00 p.m. Please ensure you book online for your meeting with our teachers in the Resource Centre.
If there are any questions you would like a response to, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College either by phone or email.
Enjoy the break ahead.
Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton
Head of Secondary
julie-anne.skelton@hills.qld.edu.au
College LAWS Awardees
The following students have acknowledged the College LAWS. Please congratulate when you see them.
Year 7
Work with Diligence- Shaanpreet Gill
Strive for Success- Matilda Howitt
Act with Integrity- Laura Fenwick
Live with Compassion- Sienna Sorbello
Year 8
Work with Diligence- Riley Griffin
Strive for Success- Maxwell Bell
Act with Integrity- Jyla Mollard
Live with Compassion- Coby Perrin
Year 9
Work with Diligence- Zachary Morgan
Act with Integrity- Lily Keddie
Strive for Success- Kyah Jones
Live with Compassion- Jared Waters
Dr Yuhua Li
Chinese Teacher
Year 9
Jyla Mollard - living with compassion by helping other students with their performance work
Jessica Cho - Striving for success by trying her hardest to improve her guitar skills
Mr Lawrence Gratton
Music Teacher
Teaching and Learning - Music
In Music, Year 7 have been learning about performing songs and making melodies. For our final lesson we worked in teams to create a unique performance of a song using boomwackers!
Year 8 and 9 have been learning about Pop music. This term we have practiced playing songs on our own then as part of the group. To finish the term, we held a class concert where each group performed their song. It was pretty nerve-racking, but each student showed confidence and resilience whilst performing in front of the class.
Year 10 have been studying a range of types of dance music. They completed a performance assessment and a written analysis of a piece of dance music of their choice.
Year 11 and 12 have been working on their performance skills for this term's assessment. There were some nerves for the final performances, but everyone managed to get through them with skill and determination.
Dr Julia Pope
Head of Faculty- The Arts and Technologies
Teaching and Learning - Digital Technologies and Media Arts
Term 1 has been an exciting and busy period for students from Years 7 to 12 in the Digital Technologies and Media Arts classes at Hills International College. Students have been immersing themselves in various projects, and their enthusiasm for these subjects is evident.
Year 7 students have been learning about digital technologies to collect information on device ownership and usage. They have explored systems thinking, artificial intelligence, and online safety while using Excel to manipulate data and create visual representations.
Year 8 and 9 Digital Technologies students have been analysing internet speeds around the College, and identifying strengths and weaknesses in the network. In Media Arts, they have been studying their favorite TV shows, examining how these programs comment on society, portray social values, and the production processes involved.
Year 10 Digital Technologies students have researched real-world problems, such as mental health awareness and food wastage in Australia, and potential data-driven digital solutions. In Media Arts, they have been exploring the social, cultural, and ethical aspects of media artworks while learning about various technical aspects of production.
Year 11 Digital Solutions students have been working collaboratively on creating a mock government edutainment web application that engages students in ciphers and encryption. Meanwhile, Year 11 and 12 ICT students have been creating static webpages using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for various businesses.
Year 12 Digital Solutions students have completed their IA1 Technical Proposal, producing an 11-minute video outlining their proposed app for urban planners and developers to protect native flora and fauna. They have now begun their IA2, focusing on developing a low-fi prototype of an English Language app for Hills students to practice their vocabulary.
The Digital Technologies and Media Arts classes provide students with a supportive learning environment where they can grow and develop their skills. It is wonderful to see the range of projects and creative solutions that students have been working on throughout Term 1, and we eagerly anticipate their continued success in these subjects.
Mr Paul Clarke
Digital Technologies/ Media Arts Teacher
Teaching and Learning - Drama
This term the Year 8 and 9 Drama students have been working on creating theatre that clearly shows the use of the Elements of Drama. Our focus has been The Human Context – relationship, situation, and role, as well as movement and creating dramatic tension. Students produced some excellent scenes in their groups.
Mrs Melanie Clifton
Drama Teacher
Teaching and Learning - Ancient History
The following members of the Year 11 Ancient History class need to be congratulated. I threw them in the deep end this term; they were assessed using what is usually the FA4 culminating assessment – the unseen essay examination in response to sources (definitely the hardest task that requires relative mastery of the suite of their very freshly acquired History skills).
They achieved an incredible feat.
Well DONE!
Joshua Chan
Simran Sandhar
Alex Jamieson
Leon Greenard
Tea Gligor
Ms Jacinta Goyne
Ancient History Teacher
Visual Art Excursion to GOMA - Senior Students
On Tuesday 28 March, the Year 11 and 12 Visual Art students visited the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane to view the current exhibitions. The main exhibition at GOMA is ‘Air’ which showcases more than 30 significant Australian and international artists, reflecting the vitality of our shared atmosphere.
“When artists address the global issues confronting us today, they have the power to change the world – by changing the way we look at it”.
- Chris Saines CNZM, Director QAGOMA
Students also viewed the other exhibitions in the gallery including ‘Courage and Beauty – The James C. Sourris AM Collection’ and ‘Transitions Now: Contemporary Aboriginal Forms and Images from the Collection’.
This visit was for the students to familiarise themselves with the gallery and gain a greater understanding of the featured artists’ works. In Year 11 and 12 the students explore the Contemporary, Personal, Cultural and Formal contexts within each Unit of work and this excursion strengthened their understanding of these contexts in an authentic environment. Year 12 were able to make connections with their own inquiry question and explore new artists for their IA2. I would like to personally thank the students as they all responded well to the questions on the worksheets provided and were a credit to the College.
Ms Caroline Barnard
Visual Art Teacher
Courage to Care Program
On Thursday 23 March, Year 10 and Year 11 and 12 Modern History students, attended a History incursion called ‘Courage to Care’ organized by Senior Modern History teacher, Ms Salmon. We learnt about the events of World War II, particularly the persecution and genocide of Jewish people, led by the Nazis.
The program involved a visit from Peter Baruch, a Holocaust survivor now in his late 80s. He told the story his family’s escape from Lodz in Poland in 1938 when he was just 18 months old. Peter described his family’s trauma as their once peaceful town was ‘Nazified’ with the main street being renamed ‘Adolf Hitler Street’. He showed us the armbands he and his family had to wear in the streets to be ‘identified’ as Jews. He told the story of how their passports were confiscated, and their rights were slowly eroded and taken away by the Nazis.
His mother made the decision to escape with him and his father, while the rest of his family stayed in Poland and perished, along with six million other Jewish people killed in the genocides of World War II. His mother sewed her jewelry into her clothing so she could hide it from the Nazis, and they used all these jewels and heirlooms to pay their way out of Europe. His only possession left from his family in Poland was the blanket his mother wrapped him in when they escaped, which he showed us on the day.
He told the story of the people who helped them escape, like Chiune Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat who used his position to help thousands of Jewish people escape Europe. Peter’s family travelled to Japan as refugees, and he described his memories there as a young boy. However, they later had to flee Japan as well, once Japan entered the war. The family finally made their way to New Zealand, which Peter’s mother saw as far away from World War II as possible.
The day was a success, and ended with a workshop on how we all can be ‘upstanders’ against discrimination (rather than bystanders) and stand up for the rights of others. We lastly had a Q+A session with Peter where we were able to ask any questions we had about his family’s story. Being able to speak with a living holocaust survivor is certainly an experience all of us will remember forever, and it was a great way for us to engage with our Modern History studies.
Alexandria Jamieson
Modern History student
Mathematics Zone
Maths Zone at the College has new flags which have already promoted some discussions with students about attending Maths Zone.
As parents, you are reminded that this is available on Tuesday mornings and lunchtimes for peer tutoring or help from Mathematics teachers for any numeracy related issues. Please encourage your child to attend.
Mrs Sharon Rummins
Head of Faculty - Mathematics
English Ambassador Report
There are currently two English Literary competitions running at the moment. Both are opportunities for students (and staff!) to be able to write a poem, non-fiction/ fiction prose, or story. Below is a table filled with information about both competitions. Parents, you may also join.
Caitlin McNee, Isabella Carter, Amber Davidson
English Ambassadors
Ms Jacinta Goyne
Head of Faculty - English
The Arts Captain Report
Year 11 and 12 Visual Art students went on an excursion to the Gallery of Modern Art at South Bank yesterday to see the exhibition ‘Air’ as well as other exhibits. It was a great day with some wonderful artworks to inspire the students with their learning.
Rehearsals for the College Production are continuing. Being involved in the Production is a great experience whether as an actor, a musician, a technician, or a backstage helper. The Production Band are commencing rehearsals in Term 2 under the guidance of Mr Gratton. We wish the Production team a great year as they prepare for their performances in October.
The Music rooms at the top of the Resource Centre are open every lunchtime except Wednesdays. Come and practice guitar, keyboard or drumkit.
The annual Art competition organised by the Independent Education Union is on again this year with the theme being ‘Colours of Life’. The competition is open to Primary and Secondary students, and staff. The deadline for uploading your entry form is 5pm on Friday 21 July. All artworks are to be delivered to the IEU-QNT Brisbane Office by 5pm, Friday 28 July. Further details will be posted on the College app.
Kynan Clarke
College Arts Captain
College Project
The One Billion Stars project (formerly One Million Stars to End Violence, 2012) was founded by Maryann Talia Pau, a Samoan-Australian weaving artist, and her husband Mark Yettica-Paulson, an indigenous leader and cross-cultural specialist. After receiving over 2.4 million hand woven stars from over 15 countries and creating an installation in Brisbane of one million stars for the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, their new goal is to weave one billion stars by 2032, which ties in with the Olympic Games.
We have registered as a Star Weave Community which is a community of people who pledge to weave anywhere between 10,000 and one million stars over the next 2 to 5 years.
As a project leader for our local area, I am running two free weaving workshops each term. One is aimed at the Hills College community and the other is for local community groups. Isla Perrett and several students have kindly agreed to help with these workshops.
Star Weave Communities are encouraged to display their woven stars once they have reached their target. Each total will be counted towards the goal of one billion stars by 2032.
Our local community target is to weave 10,000 stars by 2025.
Ms Caroline Barnard
Visual Art Teacher
Teaching and Learning - Upcoming Talk Money Workshops
We are delighted to inform our year 7-10 parents that we have been able to book workshops for our students during their Mathematics learning environments from the Talk Money organisation in Term 2.
Talk Money with Ecstra Foundation is designed to help Australian students learn money lessons for life, to be confident talking about money and to make informed financial decisions.
The organisation offers facilitator led workshops to reinforce learning and key concepts in class and at home.
Talk Money with Ecstra Foundation has been developed by education experts in collaboration with a financial education advisory group, providing diverse experience, insights and feedback. The workshops and resources are evidence based and aligned to the Australian Curriculum and the National Consumer and Financial Literacy Framework.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sharon.rummins@hills.qld.edu.au
Head of Mathematics Faculty