I am delighted to provide a comprehensive report on the recent Student Leadership Day initiated by the Halogen organisation, held in Brisbane, which proved to be an inspiring and enriching experience for our students. The event featured four remarkable guest speakers who left an indelible mark on the minds of our young leaders.

Student Leadership Day

The Student Leadership Day held at Brisbane by Halogen brought together students from various schools, providing an invaluable platform for them to explore and enhance their leadership skills. The event featured five distinguished speakers, each sharing their unique insights and experiences. The speakers not only captivated the audience, but also motivated our students to embrace their roles as leaders within the school community and beyond. The speakers included :

• Anastasia Woolmer : Australian Memory Champion
• Ben Polson : Ninja Warrior
• Matt Cosgrove and Eva Amores : Authors and illustrators
• Lachie Smart : world record pilot and keynote speaker

The diversity of perspectives provided by these speakers contributed to a holistic understanding of leadership, leaving our students inspired and empowered.

School Camps

Additionally, I would like to highlight the concurrent camps held from Monday to Wednesday of this week, for students in Years 8, 9, 10, and 11, with a special mention of the Year 11 camp attended by myself at Emu Gully.

The four camps were conducted from Monday to Wednesday over two nights and three days, catering to students in Years 8, 9, 10, and 11. The camps aimed to foster teamwork, resilience, and personal growth among participants.

I had the privilege of attending the Year 11 leadership camp at Emu Gully and was thoroughly impressed by the commitment and enthusiasm displayed by the students. The activities and challenges facilitated not only skill development but also promoted strong bonding among the cohort. Witnessing firsthand the camaraderie and unity among our Year 11 students was a testament to the success of the camp in instilling leadership qualities and forging lasting connections.

In conclusion, the Student Leadership Day and the accompanying leadership camps were undeniably instrumental in nurturing the leadership potential of our students. I extend my gratitude to Halogen for orchestrating a meaningful event and commend our students for their active participation and receptiveness to the valuable lessons imparted. The experiences gained during this period will undoubtedly contribute to the positive development of our student leaders and, by extension, the entire school community.

Mr Kevin Lynch

Principal / CEO

I have had the joy to share in so many positive behaviours over the past fortnight and commend our vast student body who engage so positively socially and academically to uphold the College L.A.W.S.

Many thanks to our families who proactively engage with their children after being contacted by our staff regarding behaviour. Most of our behaviours are in the ‘minor’ range, however, tracking behaviour trends and seeking input from our families can assist us with better guiding and supporting our students in class and within the community. We have high expectations regarding student behaviour and everyone has the right to learn in a safe and respectful environment. We value your input and support of our college L.A.W.S, and instilling these values through conversations at home and in collaboration with Hills College Staff.

We have a range of exciting excursions coming up next week. Years 2 and 5, enjoy your time off campus at the QLD Railway Museum and St Helena Island. Year 4, we also hope you had a blast with the Woodhill Rural Fire Brigade yesterday!

Before I sign off, I wish to warmly welcome new students, Charlotte Ladd-Dinnage, Year 3B, and Pritpal Singh, Year 2B. It has been a joy seeing them settle in so beautifully.

Mr Matthew Noel
Head of Primary/Deputy Principal

matt.noel@hills.qld.edu.au

Capturing Conversations with the College Captains - National Young Leaders Day

On Monday 19 February we attended the National Youth Leadership in Brisbane. We heard from five guest speakers: Anastasia Woolmer (National Memory Champion), Ben Polson (Australia’s first Ninja Warrior Champion), Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove (authors of The Worst Week), and Lachie Smart (youngest pilot to fly around the world).

As Captains, we were so impressed with the focus on perseverance and persistence to overcome challenges and the presentations were an inspiration to us.

Here are our insights:

Tyler - I liked Ben Paulson who detailed his life journey of being bullied. He was inspirational as he was goal-focused and used compassion to look for kindness and this helped inspire us. 

Vyaas - Lachie Smart explained that challenges are about overcoming. He detailed how he could have given up after experiencing electrical difficulties flying in a storm but looked at this as being a driver to help him pursue and conquer the round-the-world challenge. 

Isabella - Ben Paulson inspired me with his courage. He never gave up and the negative opinions that were sometimes used toward him created an outlook to persuade others about looking through a positive lens. 

Caoimhe - Anastasia Woolmer inspired my outlook, and she confirmed that being different is great. I love this focus and value the individual differences we all have.

Captains Quotes

Mistakes help you succeed, and they help make you stronger. Isabella Gabriel.

You cannot win without losing first. Vyaas

There is no such thing as losing, it is about learning instead. Tyler

Don’t try to be someone you are not. You are you and that is what makes you great! Caoimhe

Captains' Shout Out!

The Primary Captains would like to recognise Lillyanna Massey, 5A, for her outstanding spirit and community pride. Lillyanna is so welcoming of others and brings a giant ray of sunshine to the college! Thank you, Lillyanna, for being awesome!

Triple P (Positive Parenting Program)

Families I wish to alert you to a fabulous resource, Triple P. Parenting is never easy and one size definitely does not fit! I hope. This free resource can provide support on a range of topics, focused on:
       a) Helping your child cope with challenges, and
       b) How to support your child’s learning.

In the Spotlight 3B

Students in 3B have settled in very well to their new environment, demonstrating respect and following our Essential Agreement proudly. The students have demonstrated commitment to all the work they undertake, aiming to use important skills to expand their thinking and showing a growing understanding of the concepts and topics covered. They want to inquire further into their learning, showing enthusiasm with all activities. We have introduced six new students into 3B this term, all of whom contribute equally to the positive dynamics of the class. All the students have shown they can work well collaboratively with their peers in different situations treating each other with kindness, compassion, and respect. These two words, ‘Kindness’ and ‘Respect’ are very important in 3B.

This term the students have engaged in the Unit of Inquiry, ‘How We Organise Ourselves’. Throughout this inquiry, they have explored food productions, how food gets from the farm to the table, identifying and describing what a healthy food plate should be, and sustainability within these food processes. They will also investigate fibre production from around the world and using these two technologies, food, and fibre, will create designed solutions, developing ideas that relate to food and fibre.

In literacy, students have enjoyed unpacking the structure of narratives, looking at character and setting development, and persuasive writing, expressing their own points of view. Sentence structure and composition have been a focus, creating interesting sentences using nouns, verb, adjectives, and adverbs. Many of these activities are consolidated in literacy rotations.

During maths, students have looked at the relationship between addition and subtraction, word problems, place value, rounding numbers and money. They have grasped these concepts well and have enjoyed exploring them further with many of the students excited to see what concepts will be investigated next, enthusiastic to be risk takers, giving each activity a go.

I am so very excited every day to see the students, their enthusiasm, and their love of learning. I am so very amazed at how they have conducted themselves with kindness and respect. Every day in our classroom is engaging, challenging, and full of fun.

Mrs McKenzie
3B Classroom Teacher

The Learning Environment at Hills - the powerful 'Third Teacher'

At Hills, we believe that the learning environment is not merely a backdrop but a dynamic, interactive entity—an invaluable 'third teacher' that plays a pivotal role in shaping your child's educational experience. We recognise that the teacher, the learner, and the environment are interconnected elements that shape the educational journey. Our teachers have embraced this concept wholeheartedly, dedicating time and effort to create environments that actively contribute to the learning process. As partners in your child's education, we invite you to explore these classrooms, witness the magic of engagement, and celebrate the collaborative spirit that defines our learning spaces.

Research consistently underscores the profound impact of the learning environment on a child's cognitive, emotional, and social development. In a PYP classroom, the environment is meticulously designed to inspire curiosity, fuel passion, and foster collaborative learning. It serves as a catalyst for inquiry-based exploration, encouraging students to actively engage with their surroundings. 

From vibrant learning corners that showcase intriguing artifacts to cozy reading nooks adorned with literary treasures, every inch of our classrooms has been designed to spark questions and invite exploration. Our teachers have embraced the PYP philosophy, ensuring that the environment becomes a canvas for sparking curiosity and encouraging students to question the world around them.

Student Agency 

At Hills, student agency is a fundamental aspect of the Primary Years Programme (PYP). It refers to the ability of students to take ownership of their learning, make choices and decisions, and act independently with purpose and direction.

Student agency is fostered through a variety of practices and strategies, such as:

• Inquiry-based learning: Students are encouraged to explore their own questions, interests, and curiosities, and to drive their learning through active investigation and research.
• Student-led conferences: Students take responsibility for their own learning and share their progress and goals with their teachers and families. At Hills, this is done at the end of Term 3 each year.
• Collaborative learning: Students work together to solve problems, share ideas, and make decisions, developing communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.
• Reflection: Students reflect on their learning and identify their strengths and areas for improvement, taking ownership of their own growth and development.

Families can also play a vital role in developing agentic skills in their children at home. Some ways to do this include:

• Encouraging curiosity and questioning: Parents can foster their children's natural curiosity by providing opportunities to explore and investigate, asking open-ended questions, and encouraging them to find their own answers.
• Supporting choice and decision-making: Parents can give their children opportunities to make choices and decisions, such as choosing what to wear or what to have for breakfast and support them in reflecting on the consequences of their choices. 
• Encouraging reflection: Parents can encourage their children to reflect on their experiences, asking questions such as "What did you learn from that?" or "What would you do differently next time?"
• Fostering independence: Parents can gradually give their children more responsibility and independence, such as allowing them to choose their own activities or take on household chores.

By supporting the development of student agency both at school and at home, students can become more empowered, engaged, and motivated learners, better equipped to navigate their own learning journeys and to make meaningful contributions to the community.

Mr Stuart Ablitt
Deputy Head of Primary & Head of IB Programs

stuart.ablitt@hills.qld.edu.au

Secondary Insights

As we navigate through Term 1 in Secondary at Hills College, I am excited to share highlights from our recent Year 8 to 11 Camps, and extend a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful Parents and Friends (P&F) at Hills College for their unwavering support.

Our students in Year 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 11, recently embarked on the much-anticipated annual camps, where experiential learning programs were designed to foster resilience, teamwork and leadership. Over the three days, our students were engaged in a variety of activities, each crafted to push their boundaries and enhance their personal growth. Year 12 also embraced some activity both at the College and away from the College during the first three days of this week.

Over the coming weeks, we hope the transformation we witnessed in our students will continue to be the start of their growth journey. They returned with not just newfound skills and confidence, but also with stories of perseverance, camaraderie and self-discovery. Such experiences are invaluable; they teach lessons that extend far beyond the confines of a classroom, preparing our young learners for the complexities of the world with grace and adaptability.

In the next edition of our Hills Times, more anecdotal comments from students will be available as well as accompanying photos.

Further to this and in the backdrop of these enriching student experiences is the incredible work of our P & F Association. This dedicated group of parents and friends of the school has been instrumental in not just supporting events but also in fostering a sense of community and belonging among our students and their families.

Through fundraising, event organization, and countless volunteer hours, our P & F Association has contributed significantly to the enrichment of our school's culture and the enhancement of our educational programs. Their efforts have provided essential resources, supported extracurricular opportunities, and helped create an environment where every student can thrive. The new Secondary seating is an example of their support for our students in this wonderful community. A heartfelt thank you to our P and F.

If there is anything you want to know about Secondary, please do not hesitate to call reception for a meeting or just email me for a response to your questions.

Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton

Head of Secondary

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

Teaching and Learning - Digital Technologies

In this edition of the Hills Times, we feature some of the wonderful work being undertaken by our teachers and learners in Technologies. The Technologies learning area comprises the subjects of Design and Technologies, as well as Digital Technologies. In these subjects, students apply Design Thinking and Computational Thinking process to explore and address real-world problems. The students undertake a range of learning experiences to build their understanding and practical skills to become critical and creative problem-solvers.

In Digital Technologies, students build 21st Century skills in problem solving and computational thinking.

Our Year 7 students are engaged in a cross-curricular unit called Digital Creators. Students are taking on the role of a digital content creator, building a website in HTML and CSS to showcase images, graphics and videos they are creating in Media Arts.

The exciting field of game development is the perfect subject for our Year 8 students to learn real-world skills in coding with Javascript. The students are creating games involving complex sprite movements and animations, whilst developing their understanding of computational thinking and conditional logic.

The online world is rich with interactive content that is powered by Javascript. Our Year 9 and 10 learners are taking on the role of interactive content creators to develop websites that engage the user through the use of interactive elements. The students are building websites that are designed to educate for fellow students, or to align with their future career aspirations.

Senior ICT students have the opportunity to build knowledge and skills that can be applied in the real world of the ICT industry. Our Year 11s are flexing their technical and creative powers as they undertake a layout and publishing unit, in which they are learning about industry standard hardware and software processes. 

Year 12 students are focusing on educating our young mathematicians, by planning and producing a web-based probability and statistics game. This task requires the students to understand the needs of their user, design effective algorithms, and develop workable code to test and refine their digital solution.

Technologies Co-Curricular: Robotics

In 2024, secondary students have been offered an additional option for Activities – Robotics, utilising Lego EV3.  This activity is designed to be project-orientated, building not only STEM skills but also developing collaborative teamwork and problem-solving.  The students are engaged in constructing a robotic vehicle, then coding it to perform specific tasks, such as follow a designated path, pick up and place items and to independently navigate around obstacles. 

The College STEM Ambassadors have assisted in preparing materials, developing tracks and supporting students when working with their robots. Interested students will be provided with the opportunity to compete against other schools at the RoboCup Junior event held in June. We also look forward to engaging students in further robotics competitions and co-curricular activities across 2024.

Mr Christopher Borg

Head of Faculty- Technologies

Teaching and Learning - Design Technologies

This learning outcome enabled the students to acquire and demonstrate food preparation skills by preparing and cooking pizza toast. These skills included weighing, measuring, grating, slicing, spreading, and using a hot oven. Students were encouraged to consider design factors, like, economically sourcing ingredients and minimising wastage, reducing costs without compromising flavour, and calculating the nutritional value of the product.

Ms Rachel Carter

Design and Technologies Teacher

In Design Technology students across different grades are immersed in diverse and impactful projects.

Year 7 students are currently undertaking a Food Specialisation unit, learning about safe and sustainable food production, as well as building valuable skills in food preparation and cooking. This term’s assessment task has the students exploring the nutritional and practical aspects of planning and making their own unique pizza creation.

Year 8 are tackling the challenge of sustainable food packaging, experimenting with eco-friendly materials and designs.

Year 9 are deeply engaged in understanding the environmental consequences of the meat industry, prompting thoughtful reflections on personal choices and ecological footprints.

Year 10 are honing their baking skills, delving into the precision and experimentation of culinary arts.

Meanwhile, our Year 11 and 12s are navigating their senior Design syllabus, applying accumulated knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems. This comprehensive approach not only nurtures creative thinking and problem-solving but also instils a sense of responsibility and passion for innovation in our students, preparing them for the broader design landscape.

Mr Christopher Borg

Head of Faculty- Technologies

STEAM Ambassadors - STEM run activity with Year 3s - Grape Molecules

<sup>Marking this as a weekly occurrence, our STEM team sponsored another activity centered on food science and nutrition for the Year 3 unit “How the World works” on 21 February. This particular experiment utilised grapes and toothpicks for an activity called Grape Molecules to teach the students basic chemistry, more specifically the chemical formula and structure of water, in an engaging and interactive manner.

The children were particularly eager during this activity, enthusiastically creating more complex molecules and compounds after completing the structure of water, which led to an unplanned, yet successful, race between the groups of students for who could build the best structure. Overall, this simple activity was received extremely well and promoted science in an enjoyable way, encouraging love for STEM in our primary students.

Hollie Zavattaro</sup>

^{Hills STEM Ambassador and Reporter}

Under the direction of

Mr Chris Schultz

Head of Faculty- Science

Swimming Carnival- House Winner

The winning house for this year's Secondary Swimming Carnival is Uluru.

Thank you Mr Borg for this great photo.

Secondary Seating

On behalf of our Secondary students at Hills College, we are so appreciative of the new tables for our students to use during their breaks as well as their learning sessions.

Having a wonderful P & F at our College is certainly something I appreciate in my role at Hills College.

Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton

Head of Secondary

Year 8-12 Camps

From Monday to Wednesday this week, all of our Year 8-12 students were off campus, enjoying enrichment and team-building activities at several locations.

We cannot stress the high value these camps have for students and staff. Attendance at camp is considered compulsory.  We know it can be hard if your child says they don't want to go on camp, but the experiences that students have on camp contribute many positives - most importantly in areas of resilience, diligence, and teamwork.

Some testimonials from this years' camps:

Year 8 and 10 parent:

• Oh (they) absolutely loved it! 
  
  They both had so much fun! And they made some new friends which is such good news for us as parents!
  
  Could not be happier that we chose Hills. You are all legends and we are so thankful!

Josh Feeney (Year 12):

• After reflection the Year 12 camp was highly positive, it was a good chance for us to blow off steam and be little kids again. There were no negatives of the day, it was perfect.

Antoine Maingot (Year 10):

• I enjoyed everybody being together as one, seeing the people who you wouldn't expect working together, being friends and going through adversities through the challenges we were given.  Just seeing everyone work together was the best part of camp.
  

Kira Masuda (Year 10):

• The camp was fun to most people; everyone enjoyed the water activities and we all agreed we could have had better communication skills. The food was better than most of the other foods at the other camps.

Bailey Stringer (Year 10:)

• Year 10 camp brought us closer together as a cohort.

Tanya Waalder, Chase Hicks, Lachlan McNee (Year 11):

• The camp was good because we got to spend time with each other.

Parent Parking Notice

While we have seen a marked decrease in parents parking in staff or student parking areas, I would like to again remind parents that the staff carpark is out of bounds for parents picking up or dropping off children.

Parents using this area have now been directed several times to park in other areas, and students are also aware that these parking areas are not allowed for use by parents and students.  Please help support us to develop an understanding of rules and support for our College systems by continuing to park only in designated areas.

We have had several complaints from staff and families as a result of parents using these carparks. Traffic flow has improved thanks to our new systems, and the fact that they are so well supported by our families.  In order for this to continue, we must again direct parents to park only in designated areas.

Fair Play Sporting Vouchers

The Queensland Government's Fair Play Vouchers are now open for Parents and Guardians to apply. To Check if you are eligible and find out where you can use your FairPlay vouchers, refer to the following Website:

FairPlay vouchers | Recreation, sport and arts | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)

International students on camp

Most of our international students attended their respective camps. For many, the camp experience is new, and a little scary at first. Here are the thoughts of two of our Hills Language College students:

Dickie Yau - Year 10 camp

This week I had a pretty good experience, which was the camp. Before I didn't want to go to the camp. But I had not choice, then I just could bite the bullet and tried it. The food in there was not that bad. First day lunch on camp was a potato with some bacon and cheese on top, it tasted pretty nice, I liked it.

There were a lot of water activities, that was really fun. My most impressive water activity was we had to go into the water and wet our t-shirts, and then fill the cup with the water from the t-shirts. At that time I just wanted hurry up. I was so anxious that I forgot to take off my glasses. Then my glasses were missed in the water. I was really helpless at that moment, I thought I will get trouble. But not, my teammate was very nice. They all came to the water to help me find my glasses. I was truly thankful.

Another activity at camp that I thought was fun was on the first night we had to communicate with people we didn't know. I was very nervous because my English speaking is too bad. I was worried that if I tried to communicate with someone, that person wouldn't be able to understand what I was trying to say. But everyone said my English was good. Someone asked me when did I come to Australia. I answered said "one month ago". They were all astonished, they said because my English skills was not like just came here one month ago, I could clearly to talk with them. I discovered my English was not that bad. I have more self belief now.

I feel very tired this week, but also very happy. I met some new friend on camp. And camp was a good environment to let me just use English to talk with another people. That's a good chance to practice my English.

Choin Sohn - Year 9 camp

If I have to choose my best week, this week will be my best week.

This week at school I went to Camp Cooby. My roommates were Michael, Raph, Jamie, Taj and Yuvraj. They were nice to me, so it was comfortable. I played a card game with Michael and Taj. There was an alpaca, it was so cute. Also, I petted the alpaca. 

I climbed the giant ladder with Max. Max helped me to go up. I didn't get to the top, but it was nice experience. I paddled a kayak and it was hard to go, because I could feel pain in the arm. 

We walked at night and we tried to see a koala, but we couldn’t see it. Lunch and dinner were nice but it was hard to go to cafeteria, because it was a climb up the mountain. I rode a water slide. It was so fun, so I rode 5 times.

What is the richest fish in the world?

At the invitation of the Year Four cohort, Clayton discussed volunteering for the P & F. We would like to thank the Year 4 classes for their invitation and their suggestions on what the P & F can do for them.

An informative flyer about the P & F and what we do has been sent to the parents of the Prep students, and will be on display in the school and on Facebook. Thank you to Mr Ablitt for his assistance with arranging this.

The next P & F general meeting will be held on 12 March in the Resource Centre (please enter through the rear of the building).

A number of volunteers have been busy on behalf of the P & F, completing planning for events that will be happening throughout the year. We are very appreciative! If you have a small window of time or a skill that you can offer to the P & F please contact us either through the Facebook page, emailing secretary@hillspf.com, or by calling Brenda on 0422 087 403.

Answer: A Goldfish