31 March 2025

Principal’s Report

Welcome to the final newsletter for Term one. As I write this, the rain continues to fall and soon the sound of lawn mowers will be all around. It has certainly been a great season for our area with ample rain but thankfully no damage from the wind or flooding.

School Review

Last week we had our school review which is held every four years. There were three independent reviewers who over the course of three days were able to interview over 100 people. There were a wide range of people who took part in interviews with almost half being students from different year levels, randomly selected from across the school. My thanks to the parents, staff and community representatives who took time out of their days to contribute to the review.

While there are several systemic areas where the school will be able to focus on over the next four years, the review indicated overwhelming positive feedback from everyone involved across all of the nine domains in the review. In particular, was the strong culture which exists which is supported by students, staff, parents and the wider community. The reviewers also made note of the strong support networks which exist in the school, primarily for students, but which also exist for staff and parents.

Overall, this has been a very positive experience for everyone involved and reinforces that our school is as good as, if not better than, any other school in our district.

NAPLAN

We have now completed all of the testing required for NAPLAN. This year the participation rate was very good amongst our Year 7 students with around 85% of students participating. The results from this will guide our school to review the curriculum and pedagogy to better suit the needs of our learners. My thanks to the staff who administered the tests as well as Ms Christensen who managed the NAPLAN implementation across both Years 7 and 9.

Staff Updates

At the beginning of this year, we had a vacancy in the Head of Department role for HPE, Hospitality & Arts faculty areas. Jason Cappello has been acting in the role since the beginning of the year and last week was notified that he was successful in gaining the temporary position for the remainder of the year. This is great news for our school as Mr Cappello is very well respected amongst his fellow teachers and students as a quality teacher with great leadership qualities. My congratulations to Mr Cappello on his selection and I look forward to working with him as part of our leadership team.

Scott Quinn has been on leave from Gin Gin State High School since the end of last year. Since then, Mr Quinn has been successful in gaining a transfer to Kepnock State High School. Scott had been with us since 2019, working in the Manual Arts area, but was also a major supporter of the Driver Education Program which has been such a success at our school. We wish Mr Quinn all the best at his new school.

Facilities

Demolition has begun on the student toilets in B Block. The walls and partitions have been removed and they will start removing floor spaces to run new plumbing in the coming days. This project is expected to take another 12 weeks to complete so won’t be completed until end of semester one. Temporary toilets have been provided by the department while the construction continues. When completed the toilets will be modern and secure, minimising the risk of unwanted behaviours and vandalism.

The covered link from the school to the bus shelter is nearing completion. Rain has delayed the final completion a little, however this will finally allow students to enter and exit the school via the bus stop through a completely covered walkway meaning rain events such as the one we presently have will not impact movement in and out of the school.

My thanks to everyone for what has been a very positive start to the year. I wish everyone a safe and happy Easter break and look forward to seeing you again in Term two.

Regards
Paul Stehbens

Coming Events

Gin Gin State High School Laptop Programs

Every student at Gin Gin State High School requires access to a laptop device. Over the last five years we have been running a laptop program with the intention of transitioning to being a “laptop only” school. This year we have taken the next step toward this by decommissioning of fixed computer labs. We now only have fixed computers in 2 specialist areas.

Students will need to be part of one of three possible options to access a laptop device at school.

1. BYOD – This program allows students to purchase a suitable device and use it at school. Students in this
   program will need to download the Education Queensland platform to allow them to access the school network. The student is responsible for taking care of and securing the device and accessories in accordance with school policy and guidelines.  Responsibility for loss or damage of a device at home, in transit or at school belongs to the student. Advice should be sought regarding inclusion in home and contents insurance policy.  For more information regarding this please see the below links.
2. Hire Scheme – This program allows students to hire a laptop from the school at a very reasonable price. For $1.00/day ($200/year) students will be given a laptop to use at school and at home. These devices have 4 years warranty, are covered for accidental damage and come with a sturdy carry case. These computers cost in excess of $1000 so this represents very good value for the person hiring the device. For more information regarding this and application forms, please see the below links. Agreements are also available from the school front office.
3. Stay at School Laptop Agreement – This program allows students to borrow a computer in the morning and then return it in the afternoon. Students are not able to take these devices home with them. There is no cost to be involved in this program. Parents are required to fill out an agreement for Stay at School Laptops. As at the end of this week, if this form is not filled out by parents, students will not be able to borrow a school laptop. Please click on link below for agreement form.

Paul Stehbens  – Principal

Bullyproof

Our Bully Proof program has hit the ground running with our 7- 10 students. Over the past couple of weeks, we have built on the positive classroom culture that students collaboratively constructed in our first couple of sessions and we have started to work with students on strategies to build positive relationships and how to address conflict, when situations inevitably arise. One of the strategies we have been practising is a technique called ‘Box Breathing’- a useful meditative, stress- reducing breathing exercise utilised by the US Navy SEALs. This is a deep breathing technique that can help relieve stress by calming and regulating the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The slow breath holding allows carbon dioxide (Co2) to temporarily build in the blood which decreases your heart rate, counteracting the rapid heart rate that accompanies anxiety or stress, and brings a sense of calm. We have been encouraging students to add this strategy to their tool kit and use it when they find themselves in a situation (at school or other) where their emotions may take over. Perhaps your family may find it a helpful practice at home too!

Step 1: Breathe in, counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs. Step 2: Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Try to avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.

Step 3: Slowly exhale through your mouth for 4 seconds.

Step 4: Wait for another 4 seconds before you breathe in again.

Bree Lyster - Teacher

Year 9 Cooking

In week seven, the Year 9 Food Specialisations class constructed a 2-layer novelty cake for their assignment. While the cake was a design of their choice, the creation was to comprise two layers, which were then crumb-coated and either decorated with fondant or buttercream. This assignment allows students to really get creative and this, as well as the fact that they get to experiment with different cooking techniques, makes the unit very interesting and enjoyable for the Year 9 students. The effort and creativity put into the designs should be highly commended, with some students including props or extra decorations like cake pops or toy excavators to add another level of meaning to their creation. The students’ cake designs can be seen in the photo below.

Molly Jensen - Student

Major’s Telstra Innovation Awards

This year we have two teams who have successfully made it to the Phase 1 judging for this prestigious award run by the Bundaberg Regional Council. A team of teachers including Ms Ridge and Ms Kitt are coaching them through the in-depth application process and we thank them for their additional time to support the students in this extracurricular opportunity.

Team 1 – Seniors: Maddy Wesche, Georgia Rea and Jack Keely are presenting their “Vertical Multipurpose Garden” (VMG), which incorporates modern technology to ensure that the product is easily usable for individuals of any background. Their application includes two separate designs of the VMG which have been considered with a less technologically invasive version, ensuring that people of lower economic standings still have the ability to use the product.

Team 2 – Year 10: Jackson Murphy, Wyatt Burgess and Josh Waters have developed “Farm-Aid”. This is an app available for download on top of a physical kit than can be purchased/ordered and consists of a drone and a set of markers, where the drone can be controlled to plant these markers in soil and flies within a huge range. These markers probe the soil and collect information including the soil moisture, microorganisms within the soil, and the nutrition levels of the soil. The app uses this data to provide recommendations on what to plant in the area and when to grow it.

We eagerly await the outcomes from the Phase 1 judging and wish our teams all the best – they both deserve a place in the next phase where they will be heavily mentored by members of the community to develop and present their products at the finale evening.

Karyn Goodman – HOD Science

Trivia night

Thank you to everyone who supported the Year 12 Trivia fundraiser this term- we had a full house and a fantastic night.

Thanks to our resident Quiz Queen Miss Ridge, the Gin Gin Golf Club for donating use of their clubhouse, families of students who donated prizes and students who gave up their own time to collect donations from businesses in Gin Gin and in Bundaberg.  Thanks also to the Year 12 students who helped run the night and Mr and Mrs Stehbens who ran the bar.

A special shout out of thanks goes to our sponsors for the trivia night and the upcoming music quiz, we couldn’t have done it without you:

A & M Discount Shop Gin Gin, The Hair Lounge Gin Gin, Goodnight Garlic, Vet Cross, Rusty Gate Café, Gin Gin Pharmacy, KFC East Bundaberg, The Old Bundy Tavern, Stag Hair Bundaberg, Library Bar Bundaberg, Dymocks, Sunshine Nails, Oscar Nails, Repco, Sugarland Tavern, City Coast Church, Tyre Power Gin Gin, Gin Gin Hospital staff.

These fundraising events provide the Year 12’s with much more than money- they gain skills and confidence as well as a greater sense of community and team work and we are so grateful for the community support that allows these opportunities.

We will be hosting a music quiz early next term; flyers will be out soon so get your teams together.

Lee Kitt – Year 12 Co-ordinator

Gin Gin Library Activities

There is a lot happening at the Gin Gin Library.

It is the last month of the First 5 Forever Giveaway.  Families have until 31 March (or until stock lasts) to bring their child under 6 years old to the library to claim the free March book and toy.

Also, school holiday activities for Gin Gin Library as well as at all Council venues.

This year we have a Mini Beast Interactive Exhibition funded by First 5 Forever to be held 1 April – 16 May.

For more information see flyers below:

Saver Plus

Let’s Empower Families with Financial Literacy and Savings!

Saver Plus is a program designed to help eligible families develop essential financial skills and build savings for education costs.

If parents commit to saving up to $50 a month for 10 months, ANZ will match their savings up to $500 for education costs, such as school uniforms, stationary, textbooks, computers. 

Noosa Film Academy Workshops

Join the Noosa Film Academy at the free workshops to be held in Monto.

See flyer for more information.

Gin Gin Football Club

⚽🌕⭐Play football under the full moon and field lights!!⭐🌕⚽

Gin Gin Football Club is running a Night Holiday Football Clinic under the big field lights! A unique opportunity for our local soccer enthusiasts to develop functional skills while having fun with friends.

All participants will receive included in their ticket a free halftime snack and drink, as well as a free sausage sizzle after the training session finishes

Grab your tickets now from:

Change Maker Workshop

It is strongly recommend that you consider attending this workshop, whether you are already a leader or see yourself leading, or even if you simply see yourself as a changemaker. In our workshop, we had individuals from differing levels of government, local community service providers, community club committee members, First Nations leaders, business owners and social entrepreneurs.

FREE Change Maker workshop at Bargara between 22-24 May 2025

Clink on link for more information.