23 June 2025

Principal’s Report

As we approach the end of Term, I want to take this opportunity to celebrate some of the wonderful things happening at our school, share important updates, and thank you all for the support and community spirit you continue to show.

Strategic Planning – Your Voice Matters

We are currently in the early stages of developing our new Strategic Plan, which will guide our school’s direction for the next few years. In the previous newsletter, I detailed in summary the Key Affirmations the school received as a result of the School Review in Term 2. We are now working on defining the key improvement priorities.  As part of this on-going process, we are gathering feedback from staff, both teaching and non-teaching, as well as from students and other stakeholders of our school.  The Strategic Plan will bring these voices together to help shape our collective vision for the future and will concentrate on improving further our planning and delivery of the curriculum and providing opportunities for success for all students at Gin Gin State High School.

New Fans for the School Hall – Thank You P&C!

Thanks to the generosity of our P&C Association, we now have new large ceiling fans installed in the school hall. While the weather is a little too cool for them to be needed just yet, these fans will make a noticeable improvement during assemblies and whole-school events, providing a more comfortable space for students, staff, and families alike. We are so grateful for the P&C’s efforts and their commitment to enhancing our school facilities.

Excursions and Events

We recently hosted the Wide Bay Junior Readers Cup competition here at Gin Gin State High School.  Expertly managed by Mrs Annie Wilson and Mrs Findlay who also expertly run our library, the competition attracted teams from many schools in the Wide Bay.  Some of our Year 12 students acted as quizmasters and our own junior teams acquitted themselves very well. Congratulations to all involved.  Mr Ward and Mrs Armstrong recently took our robotics team away for competition in Bundaberg and we are looking forward to hearing about the successes from that day as well. Our Year 11 Drama in Practice students , under the guidance of Ms Darr,  were able to have a day of “dramatics” with their involvement in the Scene project here at school last week. From all accounts this was of great benefit to them and helped in the development of their skills in their chosen Arts subject. This newsletter also details our involvement in the Term 2 Chess tournament, the Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Award Event, Roadcraft and RACQ Driver Talks. It has certainly been a busy and rewarding time for our students.

Volleyball Fundraiser Success

A huge thank you and congratulations to our volleyball students and the staff who supported them at the Bunnings sausage sizzle over the weekend of the 14^th June. Together, they raised $2,000 towards future competitions. It was a fantastic example of teamwork and community engagement—and the sausages were a hit too.  Special thanks to Shane Webster and Jason Capello for overseeing this fundraising venture.

Athletics Carnival – House Spirit in Action

Our much-anticipated Athletics Carnival is just around the corner, and excitement is building across the school. Students from our three houses will compete for the annual house trophy, showcasing their athletic skills, teamwork, and house pride. We encourage families to come along and cheer for the teams—it's always a great day of fun, sportsmanship.  Leading up to the carnival itself on Friday 27^th June at the Gin Gin Athletics Grounds, pre-events are being run at school and students will be reminded of these via morning notices.

Thank you again for your continued support of our school. It’s through our strong partnerships with families and the wider community that we can offer the best possible environment for our students to thrive. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable Winter holiday and look forward to seeing everyone back refreshed for Term 3.

Regards
Liz Walker

Coming Events

Finish Strong – Supporting Students to the End of Term

As we begin the final week of term, many students are still in the process of completing assessment tasks. An internal report shows that a significant amount of assessment is still being undertaken across Years 7–12 in Weeks 9 and 10. This highlights the importance of students remaining focused and doing their best right up until the end of term.

These final days are crucial for students to consolidate their learning, complete outstanding work, and demonstrate the progress they have made across the semester. Every effort now directly contributes to their final results.

Encouraging Goal Setting and Reflection

Throughout the term, students have been supported to set assessment goals and reflect on their learning progress. A recent student survey of over 70 students in Years 7–10 found:

• The vast majority of students (around 70%) have set a goal for each of their subjects, with most outlining specific steps to help them achieve these goals.
• Most students reported they are either confident they will meet their goal or are on track but still have work to do - a strong indication that goal setting and teacher feedback are making a meaningful impact.

As a parent or caregiver, your support during this final week can make a real difference. A simple conversation at home can help reinforce the value of goal setting and finishing well.

You might ask:

• What assessment goals did you set for this term?
• What feedback have your teachers given you to help you improve?
• Is there anything still due or coming up this week?
• What are you most proud of achieving this term?
• What could you do differently next term to reach new goals?

These kinds of reflective questions help students take ownership of their learning and stay focused through to the very end. With the right encouragement and conversations at home, students are more likely to approach their final tasks with purpose and confidence.

Let’s finish Semester 1 strong - together.

Aaron Ross – Acting Deputy Principal

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Term 2

With a positive lens, the PBL team meet twice a term to discuss positive strategies to address behaviour issues.  More and more, the team is seeking the student voice so that incentives have student support. The most popular incentive reward students want are tuckshop vouchers, so to utilise this incentive reward and to focus on improving student effort in the classroom, teachers nominate a student every week and three students win a tuckshop voucher every Monday for their great efforts in class.

In addition, the PBL team introduced a behaviour reward card to help increase positive interactions in the classroom. Teachers reward students regularly for good effort and behaviour by giving a stamp on the behaviour reward card. When the card is full, students submit this to the office and get to choose from a range of prizes. Each behaviour card submitted goes into the Mega Draw which is happening on Monday 23 June. The PBL team have gathered student ideas on the types of prizes they wanted in the Mega Draw and with over 300 entries, there are many of our students who are in the running for a Mega Draw prize.

Finally, organisation and being a positive member of our school community is something that continues to be a focus for the PBL team. Students have once again been allocated points in Care Groups for:

• Maintaining an attendance rate of 90% (with medical certificate) or above
• Having their school diary signed weekly
• Wearing the correct uniform daily
• Securing and using their Yondr pouches appropriately
• Engaging with at least one of the three approved options for laptop use

To celebrate, eligible students will participate in a Half-Day Movie Experience and Food Celebration on Thursday 26^th June 2025. Eligible students may wear non-uniform on the day, in line with the school's guidelines for free dress days. Eligible students will be treated to yummy pizzas and soft drinks for lunch, along with snacks during the movie session.

Movie options were selected by student vote:

• Juniors will enjoy The Minecraft Movie (PG)
• Seniors will watch Captain America: Brave New World (M)

All food, drink, and entertainment options were chosen based on the most popular student votes, ensuring the day reflects their preferences.

We look forward to working with students next term on new ideas and rewards to create a positive school environment with reduced behaviour and increased organisation and effort.

Sally Christensen – Deputy Principal

RACQ Driver IQ

To help prepare our students to become safer drivers and passengers on the roads, our Year 11 and 12 students have participated in Driver Distraction Education and Driver IQ programs this term which were run by RACQ. Strategies discussed with the students are attached below to assist you to continue these conversations at home.

The RACQ Driver IQ Learner Program explored proactive approaches to support Learner Drivers and Supervisors to ‘BOOST’ the minimum 100-hour driving experience. Through this program, our students were encouraged to see every drive as a lesson which is intentional and personalised to their skills and experience. They also considered what it means to be a ‘good mate’ in the passenger seat so that everyone in the car gets home safely.

The Driver IQ Provisional Program empowers young novice drivers to survive and thrive in the early stages of their driving journey. Guided by RACQ staff, students explored practical, real-world strategies for dealing with passengers, as well as tangible strategies for what to do in the event of a breakdown or crash.

Lee Kitt – Teacher

Building Safer Drivers: Year 11 and 12 Roadcraft Excursion

In Week 6 of Term 2, 38 Year 11 and 4 Year 12 students took part in an invaluable life skills experience—the Roadcraft Defensive Driver Education course in Gympie.

Held across two separate two-day trips, this hands-on program is designed to help young drivers develop safe driving habits before they even get behind the wheel solo. Students were guided through a mix of classroom learning and practical activities focused on hazard awareness, decision-making, and safe vehicle handling techniques.

From understanding braking distances to managing distractions, the course challenged students to think critically about the risks on the road and how to navigate them confidently and responsibly. Most importantly, the emphasis was on prevention—arming our future drivers with the skills and mindset to avoid accidents before they happen. The students embraced the experience with maturity and enthusiasm, and feedback from the instructors at Roadcraft was overwhelmingly positive. It was a proud moment to see our students taking such an important step towards becoming safe, responsible members of the driving community.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Mrs Acworth for her incredible support across both trips. From helping supervise to organising and preparing food for the group, her contributions were deeply appreciated and made the experience smoother and more enjoyable for all involved. I also extend my thanks to Mr Webster, who generously gave up his personal time to accompany students on the first trip. The time and care both teachers devoted to this excursion made a real difference and did not go unnoticed. 

We are grateful to the Roadcraft team for their expert delivery and continued commitment to road safety education, and to all staff who supported this important initiative. Opportunities like this are an important part of our commitment to not only academic growth, but real-world preparedness. I’m confident that this experience has left a lasting impression on our students—and potentially made our roads a little safer for everyone.

Neil Hume - Teacher

STEM Camp

On Monday 19^th May, we arrived to participate in impactful activities that ranged from engaging with STEM professionals in a range of industries to gaining valuable insights on how to navigate STEM careers to networking with QUT PhD students and further developing our communication, leadership and ambassador skills. This program has provided the opportunity to better understand ourselves, our interests and engage with authentic career role models.

From the intricate nuances of quantum mechanics to the very core of feminine empowerment, we’ve been endowed with the greatest gift of all - knowledge. Not just STEM-related knowledge, but knowledge regarding emerging industries, interpersonal connections and general life skills, rendering us equipped to deal with the many tribulations of life that are sure to come.

We learned to overcome apprehension and put ourselves out into the world, take advantage of as many opportunities as possible and, above all, support and empower one another regardless of our diverging paths.

From coming to camp knowing no-one to now having 59 like-minded friends we have developed a solidarity reflecting the lessons we learned from the geese about sticking together, lifting each-other up, and believing you belong in your destination.

The STEM Girl Power Program brings together young women passionate about science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  It’s a space for young women to discover what they’re truly capable of. It helped us explore our own strengths and passions, and connect with real stories and female role models from across STEM fields. Most importantly, it’s shown us that our voices matter in these spaces empowering us to see ourselves not just as learners, but as future leaders, innovators, and advocates for girls in STEM.

Sreypich Song - Student

Readers Cup

On 4^th June, Gin Gin State High School hosted the Year 7/8 Wide Bay Burnett Readers Cup.

Gin Gin State High School students had a fun day competing against teams from other schools in the Wide Bay Burnett district. Gin Gin State High School had two of the 15 registered teams and performed admirably, one team achieving fifth place and the other, eleventh place. The overall winner this year was St Luke's Anglican College. They will go to Brisbane for the state finals to be held in September.

Annie Wilson - Teacher

Gin Gin Students Take on Bundaberg's Best in Chess Challenge

On 28^th May, 11 Gin Gin State High School students headed to Shalom College to compete in the Term 2 interschool chess competition. Each student played seven intense rounds against some of the strongest players from across the Bundaberg region. Sean and Kaiden led the charge, each securing five wins from seven matches - an impressive performance that earned them Merit Awards.

Our top team, made up of Sean, Kaiden, Oliver, and Oscar, scored a combined total of 17 points - just a few shy of a top-three finish. Every player gave it their all and represented the school with pride. It was a great day of strategy, sportsmanship, and fun.

Jeff Roberts – Teacher

2025 Bundaberg Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding efforts of our students who recently took part in the 2025 Bundaberg Mayor’s Telstra Innovation Awards - a competition designed to foster innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking among young people in the region.

We had two teams participate this year.  Our senior team ‘Nexus Gardens’ consisted of Georgia Rea, Jack Keely and Maddison Wesche, and on the intermediate team ‘Farm Aid’ was Jackson Murphy and Joshua Waters.

The Awards encourage students to explore new and creative uses of technology to solve real-world problems. Our students embraced this challenge with energy and imagination, developing ideas that demonstrated their commitment to making a difference in their community and the wider world.

Throughout the program, students attended mentoring and coaching sessions after school, once a week for six weeks, which provided the students with access to specialist and technical experience to assist in the development of their ideas.

By engaging in this experience, students gained valuable skills in STEM, critical thinking, teamwork, and communication, and had the opportunity to present their ideas to a panel of industry experts and community leaders.

The students conducted themselves with exceptional professionalism throughout the event. Their pitch to the judging panel was delivered with clarity and enthusiasm and showcased their strong communication skills.

Congratulations to Maddison, Jack, Georgia, Josh and Jackson.

Lee Kitt and Michele Ridge – Teachers

Cleaners Day 16th June

School Cleaners Day is an initiative aimed at acknowledging the hard work and dedication of cleaners in schools. Cleaners play a crucial role in maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, which is essential for the health and safety of students and staff. This day provides an opportunity for school communities to express their gratitude and celebrate the valuable contributions of these essential workers

QParents

Gin Gin State High school is aiming for 100% of parents, using the Q Parents online secure web and mobile platform that allows parents to access and manage their child’s information including, attendance, report cards, timetables and consent forms. 

The Q Parents application is all about making parents' lives easier. No more missing forms with instant access to school issued notices concerning your child. This reduces the need for printed documents and aims to improve the transparency between the school and parents

Wide Bay School Sport

A huge congratulation goes to Abbey Stevens who represented Wide Bay in the 10 - 19yrs cross country which was held over 3 days in Boondall.

Caitlin Taylor – Teacher

Tuckshop Volunteers Needed

The old saying “many hands make light work” is never truer than in school tuckshops. Volunteers are a valuable resource for any school tuckshop. They aid in increasing both the efficiency and volume of orders completed. They also allow for increased interaction and feedback from the wider school community.

Volunteers don’t have to spend a whole day at the tuckshop. Parents or members of the wider community can make a real contribution by volunteering for as little as an hour.

Aside from cooking, some schools also have opportunities to help out with tuckshop activities, such as:

Packaging food and sorting into class boxes or service displays
Sharing new recipes
Serving food to students
Washing the dishes
Cleaning.

If you are interested, please contact the office on 4133 2111, and the information will be passed on.

The University of Queensland Young Achievers Program

The Young Achievers Program (YAP) supports senior secondary students in Years 11 and 12 by offering mentorship, financial support, personal growth, and leadership opportunities. It gives them the tools and support to achieve their academic and career goals.

Young Achievers receive benefits:

• during their senior schooling (years 11 and 12)
• if they study an undergraduate program at UQ.

Benefits in Years 11 and 12

• $1,000 per year
  An annual bursary of $1,000 in years 11 and 12 to support academic expenses such as uniforms, books or a laptop.

• 2 residential camps
  Become familiar with the University, build social networks and learn about your study options during 2 on-campus experiences.

• 5 adjustment factors
  Boost your selection rank to increase your chances of securing a place in your preferred UQ program.

• Help to apply to UQ
  Receive assistance with university application procedures.

• Mentoring
  Access YAP mentors throughout your journey to university.

• Activities and events
  Catch ups with their peers, mentors and staff through planned activities and celebrations. 

Ange Mitchell – Guidance Officer

Gin Gin Community Hub Newsletter June-July 2025

Please see the newsletter below.

Jo – Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centre

Gin Gin Library school holiday activities

There are activities at the library during the holidays.  See flyer below for information.

Sharon Millett - Library Coordinator (Gin Gin)

Peirson Services

Peirson Services provide counselling and youth support to families, carers, children and young people in Bundaberg.  See flyers below for their programs.

Jayne Dingle – Phoenix House

Saver Plus - Government Funded Support for Families

The Saver Plus program is open to eligible parents/carers all year, but we find it’s when these larger costs “Come up" that families start reaching out for support.

To join Saver Plus, you need to meet these requirements:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have a current Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
• Have a child in school, starting next year, or be studying
• yourself
• Get a regular income (can be you or your partner in paid work or child support/carers' payment)
• Agree to join in free online financial education workshops

What are the eligible savings goals?

Eligible savings goals are education-related products or services that:

• Assist a primary/secondary school student’s education.

If families would like to check their eligibility and receive a call back, please include our enquiry link -  Our Saver Plus financial literacy program (thesmithfamily.com.au), or they’re welcome to call our national number

1300 610 355, and a local coordinator will contact them directly.

Peta Bergan - Community Liaison, Saver Plus, The Smith Family

RQFC - Girls Only U8-U13 Football Tournament (Soccer)

This is a tournament style talent identification carnival with Regional QLD FC open for all Regional QLD Schools, Clubs and Academies from Wide Bay to Far North QLD to register.  See flyer below.

Tegege Sports & Recreational Club

Tegege Combined Sports &  Recreational Club is a nonprofit organisation.

We are raising money towards upcoming Renovations to the Tegege Memorial Hall

Tegege Memorial Hall. Invites you to come join us for:

 Cent Sale on the 12th July 2025 Starting @ 2pm followed by:

Social Events Evening

Free Activities:  Tennis, Skating, Cards & Karaoke

Barbecue and Sausage Sizzle

Chat around the campfire.

Proceeds to Tegege Memorial Hall 

 Inquiries-Secretary (Dianne Bush 07 41561237)