News & events

English & Social Science News

rOSTRUM YOUTH SPEAKS

On Saturday 9 May Rotary again held their local Youth Speaks Competition.  This year we had only one student, Dylan O'Neill, representing us at the competition, and he did so admirably.  He received only 24 hours warning of the competition, yet under the guidance of Ms Phillips he prepared and presented an excellent speech about the qualities of striving to achieve no matter what the odds, in a speech regarding an uphill battle.  Dylan was commended for his presentation.  Well done Dylan - you made us proud.

SENIOR DEBATING 2009

The final round of senior debating took place at St. Pat’s on Tuesday, 17^th March.  Unfortunately our White team was unable to participate and forfeited to St. Pat’s Gold.  Pioneer Green (Year 12) defeated Mackay High School in a very close contest which saw adjudicators conferencing before announcing the final result.  Special thanks to Gordon Lowe for standing in for Kelly Butterworth who was unable to debate due to illness.  Pioneer Gold (Year 11) defeated Holy Spirit Red.  Both of our teams took the negative side to the topic “Public figures should have private lives”. These debates were impromptu which meant that teams have only one hour to prepare on a previously unseen topic, and then speak for 4 to 6 minutes each. Not an easy task!

It is yet to be announced whether our teams have made the finals but they have done a great job in representing Pioneer yet again in the Apex debating competition.

YEAR 8 SSE101 'FOOTPRINTS'

The Year 8 SOSE students have become true Pioneers as they are now Mackay’s first ever ‘Wetland Warriors’.

On Thursday 26 February, Queensland Wetlands Program project manager Donna Audus and the Mackay Regional Wetlands Liaison Officer, Carolyn Thompson, helped the students recreate the journey that a water droplet would take as it flows down the Pioneer River catchment to the reef. Through the catchment role play the students learnt that all natural and human landscapes are interconnected and that healthy wetlands are vital for the health of the Pioneer River and the Great Barrier Reef.

The involvement in the role play provided an entertaining and valuable learning experience for the students.

Some student comments on the visit from ‘Queensland Wetland Program’:

Bree Thomas:  Yesterday in English, we drew a map of Mackay using symbols to locate areas. We also did a little play showing us things such as water, mines, etc. It was quite fun. I was involved in the play; I was the mine. I learnt that mines are very important and that they make gold and diamonds Jessica Lean:  When we played the Catchment Game we had to wear a piece of card on our head with something written on it. I was a mangrove. Nicolette from Mrs Robinson’s class was the water droplet in the play and when they called our word up we had to go and say what our word meant. One of the things I learnt was that cars are bad for water droplets because if there is leaking oil it can pollute the water. I enjoyed learning about catchments and what is good and bad for water droplets. Brooke Finato:  To play the Catchment Game we divided into groups of six and drew a map of Mackay including rivers, dams etc. The best thing I liked was the play as it showed us the cycle of how the water becomes dirty and what cleans the water. Tara King:  On 26 February 2009, two ladies from the Great Barrier Reef Rescue Centre came to our school. They told us about our catchment area and we played a Catchment Game where we learnt how water can get polluted as it travels to the reef. I learnt how a raindrop travels to the wetlands, how it can get polluted, then cleaned as it passes through the wetland. We were told that a raindrop can’t get cleaned in a wetland if the wetland has been polluted.

To further enhance their learning experience, all students are participating in the Pioneer Community Catchment Management Project facilitated by Stuart Fyfe from the Mackay Regional Council. This project involves students working in the field to help rehabilitate the local Keeleys Road Wetlands.

Please click on the thumbnails to view some of our photos:

INDIGENOUS CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

The Indigenous Constitutional Convention was held in Townsville on  26 February 2009.  Three teams of students from our region, which included Mackay SHS, Mackay North SHS and Pioneer SHS travelled to Townsville to participate in the Indigenous Constitutional Convention Northern Zone Final. Our representatives from Pioneer SHS were Tah-Leah Bakker, Telitah Bernard, Lisa Oosen and Kyneesha Romelo Congratulate all the students for participating, especially Tah-Leah Bakker who presented her speech, debating the future of Australia:   “To stay a Republic or a Constitutional Monarchy” – Well done Tah-Leah

MACKAY-WHITSUNDAY CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

On Monday 2 March, Ms Averyal Phillips (Year 12 SOSE teacher) accompanied five Year 12 students to the Mackay Whitsunday Constitutional Convention.  Students were exposed to a range of speakers including Mr Grant Webb and Mrs Kirstin Livermore (Member for Capricornia) who spoke on the issue of Australia becoming a republic. 

      

The program for the day was comprised of group discussions with students from other schools on features of a Constitutional Monarchy and various republican models.

Short speeches from students on the topic “Australia, A Republic: To Be Or Not To Be” were delivered before the lunch break. Jessica Klein represented Pioneer and kept the audience engaged with her views on the topic.  Other students  attending the convention were Amber Hansen, Allyce James, Hannah Colston and Chelsea Bailey.

 

The venue for the convention was Mackay TAFE. Students undertaking hospitality courses at TAFE, Harry Olver, Jordyn Shaw and Tammy Peet, demonstrated their competence and efficiency in serving and waiting on tables on the day. 

Once again, Pioneer students contributed to the success of the Constitutional Convention.

 

MEDIAEVAL DAY 2008

The Year 8 cohort has again enjoyed the culmination of their ESE studies in a medieval day celebration. During the morning activities they made juggling balls, played pig gut football (a game with no rules or boundaries), designed castles (I don’t think they had the benefit of computers in medieval times) and even designed their own coat of arms. Please click on the picture at right for more photos and details:

HANDS ON HISTORY - Pioneer High's Archaeological Dig: (Please click for more information)     

Archaeological Dig:

           
Please click to view

The Excavation 2008:

The day was fine and the clouds above made conditions cool - what an improvement on the rainy, hot conditions of the previous archaeological dig.  Yes, the Year 11 Vocational class was at it again in the bike racks getting ‘down and dirty’ for the dig again this year.

The ‘archaeologists’ knew the dig was an early Greek civilisation from the Greek island off Crete call the Minoans.  They didn’t know, and are still in the process of piecing together the evidence to find out what the site actually is – a temple, a battle scene or a house?  Puzzling evidence has been a pumice stone, ash and a pyroclastic bomb – the likes of which seem to be associated with volcanic eruptions.  The class assignment is to report on the dig, and, like true archaeologist/historians to hypothisise as to what the evidence suggests this site may be.

On the day, our diggers were visited by primary school buddies they had been in contact with over the preceding weeks.  The primary students were journalists who have to report on the dig.  They will publish their findings in their own school newsletters as well as our Pioneering.  Stay tuned and watch this space next semester for their contributions.  Many thanks to Ms Henningsen for her organisation and ‘moments of panic’ when some diggers thought they weren’t going to find anything.  Many thanks also go the Year 11 vocational English classes who did a lot of hot dirty work preparing the site.  We couldn’t have done without you.