• Film success
• Assessment calendar released
• Timetable change for year 10 and 11
• Fail Forward!
• P&C meeting Wednesday

I must admit to having to pinch myself as a reminder of how fortunate I am  to be here at QACI. It is not because of the absolutely fantastic facility (although I do appreciate this greatly) but because of the sense of community that exists. This has been absolutely at the forefront this week as we prepare for You're the Voice. This event is a truly whole academy event and everyone is involved to some degree, from cooking dinner for the students on Saturday,to editing complex video clips to performance.  Staff go well beyond their roles to join with students in this celebration of performance and talent. Best of all this event occurs in an environment of fun and colllaboration free from the pressures of performance with assessment attached.

An event such as this has so many benefits, none more so than the positive relationships that it builds between the collaborators, relationships that continue well beyond the final encore and extend into the classroom. The thing I love about this production the most is that it extends beyond the students who formally study music. Thorough the encouragement of their peers many students are performing for the first time feeling safe and free of judgement to do so. It really exemplifies our fundamental endeavour here at QACI to provide an environment that really does allow an individual to show the me behind the mask and to stand on the shoulders of others to see further and grow and expand experiences.

Success at New Filmmakers Awards

Friday night was the Qld New Filmmakers Awards. It was a high profile industry event with many big industry names present and some exceptional secondary, tertiary and independent film work highlighted. All industry representatives who spoke on the night referred to the very high standard of student work this year.

We were very excited to see that both Ben Cotgrove and Brandon Lee were awarded for their creative work.

Brandon Lee won Best Secondary Other.

Ben Cotgrove won Best Secondary Drama and Best Secondary Film overall.

Both students spoke very eloquently and mentioned the Qld Academy for Creative Industries in their acceptance speeches. They were exceptional representatives for all of the Academy students. There was a lot of buzz and questions about the Academy at the after celebrations. Both boys are currently heading into another creative process assessment in which they hope to continue to create strong film work. I know Friday night will have served as a wonderful point of inspiration to them.

Music Concert Series

We are very excited to be able to offer a series of free public concerts showcasing a range of artists from across Australia. May I encouage you to go to the Upcoming Events on this website and familiarise yourself with the talent of the artists coming to QACI.

Assessment Calendar released

An updated calendar which clearly shows each student their formal assessment commitments for Semester 2 was issued on Tuesday. I would encourage parents to discuss this with their students.

Timetable Change

As our delivery of the High Achievers program for primary school students has been completed we are making a slight adjustment to the timetable. This will mean that Year 10 students who have currently a spare period before recess 2 on Wednesday will have this in period 4. This will allow them to complete their day at the Academy at 1.20 if they choose to. If they make this choice they will be required to sign out each Wednesday before they leave. Please discuss with your student if you support this early departure.

Failing Forwards

In a continuation of an article of the same name in last week's newsletter I came across the following short article. I believe it provides some useful thoughts for consideration in the development of a resilient outlook.

Look at the way any achiever approaches negative experiences, and you can learn a lot about how to fail forward. Read through these two lists, and determine which one describes your approach to failure.

Think about a recent setback you experienced. How did you respond? No matter how difficult your problems were, the key to overcoming them doesn’t lie in changing your circumstances. It’s in changing yourself. That in itself is a process, and it begins with a desire to be teachable. If you’re willing to do that, then you’ll be able to handle failure. From this moment on, make a commitment to do whatever it takes to fail forward.

P&C News  

Our P&C meet this Wednesday. Some of the items I will be seeking guidance from the P&C on are:

• Text hire fees for 2010
• Possible involvement of students in the Global Challenge
• Endorsement of Language Study tours in 2010

The next P&C meeting is on Wednesday 19 August at 7.00pm.

Important dates – The month ahead

All students have real time access to the Academy calendar via iCal.

8/08 – DET Film and New Media awards 11am to 1.00pm
12/08 – EKKA Holiday - You’re the Voice rehearsal
13/08 – Student Free Day – You’re the Voice rehearsal
18/19/08 – Yr 12 CAS interviews
19/08 – Year 10 and 11 students participate in Mathematics ICAS test competition
20/08- film workshops from 11.30 in year 10 and 11
22/08 – World Vision 40 HR Famine project at QACI
22/08 – Round 3 entry testing day
29/08 – Classroom music showcase
30/08 – Bridge to Brisbane
1&2 /09 – QCS test – Nominated year 12 students

2 /09 – Year 12 Parent Information evening – Final exam preparation and support program
5 /09 – Young Scholars workshops at QACI
7/09 – Year 10/11 Submission week - normal timetable suspended
7/09 – Year 12 commence Internal assessment focus and language orals
12/09 – Language Tour to China departs
14/09 – Year 10/11 Exam block commences
18/09 – Year 10 Writing Festival excursion