4 August 2025

Principal’s Report

It is certainly great to be back at Gin Gin State High School after being in Regional Office for eight weeks last term. During my time working for the region, I had the opportunity to work across all high schools in the district. While I am quite familiar with these schools, the project required me to look at school performance as well as student outcomes. What this has done is reinforce to me what a great school we have.

While I know our school has aspects that we can improve, we are certainly very fortunate to have the culture that has become the Gin Gin way and the staff who are prepared to ensure that this culture continues to support our students.

I would like to acknowledge Liz Walker and Aaron Ross who have acted in higher positions in my absence. We are very lucky to have the depth of staff who can cover these positions as needed to keep the school running smoothly.

NAIDOC

Last week we celebrated NAIDOC week. Following an assembly on Monday, students engaged with several activities highlighting indigenous culture including sporting events, cooking and taste testing, indigenous art workshops and traditional fire starting.

Facilities

Over the last three months contractors have been working on upgrading our toilet facilities. These were completed over the holidays and are now open for student use. These are beautiful amenities which are now able to be monitored more easily. Part of the refurbishment was the installation of a locking system which automatically locks the entry gates during class time. Access is by a swipe card or a fob (for staff) which students access from the teachers. Student feedback is very positive and brings our toilet amenities in line with current design attributes.

After many attempts we have finally been able to satisfy the design and engineering aspects of our hall and have two large fans installed. These will make a significant difference to events such as our academic awards evenings and whole school assemblies during the summer months. Over the last year we have been able to upgrade the sound system, the lighting system and now provide some element of temperature control, making our school hall a very usable space for a variety of functions.

Our school will be transitioning away from a traditional key system to a fob/card system for all doors and gates, like the ones on the new toilet facilities. The cost of individual keys is significant and when keys are lost/stolen the cost of rekeying buildings is very expensive. The new system when fully implemented will be a much more effective system and will allow the flexibility to differentiate fobs/cards for different purposes.

Year 12

So far it has been a very positive start to Semester 2. This next term is an important part of our year 12 students’ final year, with much of their final result being determined by the assessment this term. External exams will commence in Week 4 of next term with most of our students involved in external exams in some way. Please support your students in this final part of their schooling to ensure they are able to perform at their best.

In closing I would like to thank people for the warm welcome I have received on my return. I look forward to leading our school through another successful remainder of the year.

Regards
Paul Stehbens

Coming Events

School Opinion Survey 2025

The suite of School Opinion Surveys is undertaken each year by the Department of Education to obtain opinions about our school from families, school staff and students in target year levels (8 and 11). The surveys will help identify what we are doing well and understand where we can improve. The survey invitation was emailed in the week beginning 21 July and is titled “School Opinion Survey for parents and caregivers, 2025.”

Each school family will receive one email invitation from the Department of Education to complete the Parent/Caregiver Survey. The survey is anonymous, and the results are not reported in ways that an individual’s response can be identified by the school.

Parents/Caregivers are encouraged to complete the survey. The survey can be completed via computers, tablets or smart phones with an internet connection. Parents/caregivers who experience difficulties accessing the survey can request a new survey from the School Opinion Survey team via email

schoolopinionsurvey@qed.qld.gov.au.

It’s important that as many parents/caregivers as possible complete the survey, so we would appreciate if members of this committee would raise awareness of this survey with other parents and caregivers. Can’t find your invitation? If your family has more than one parent/caregiver, check that they haven’t received the invitation and/or check your junk email folder.

Liz Walker – Deputy Principal

Bully Zero

A valuable opportunity is being provided to parents/carers of our schools within the region, to participate in a free face-to-face 1.5-hour workshop facilitated by Bully Zero, a leading bully prevention organisation. The workshop Bully Zero, is designed to proactively support parents to understand what bullying is and what parents can do to support their children to be safe both online and when face to face with their peers.

The attached flyer provides information regarding locations, inclusive of the online option and how to register for the workshops. Participants must register for the workshops.

Paul Stehbens - Principal

Navigating Senior Schooling: Your Student's SET Plan Journey

Parents and guardians of Year 10 students:

As we embark on an important juncture in the academic lives of our Year 10 students, we want to assure you that your student will be well prepared for the road ahead. With this goal in mind, we are excited to share vital information about the upcoming SET Plan process.

The SET Plan is a significant milestone in your student's education journey, marking the transition to senior schooling, if that is the pathway for your student. It's a personalised roadmap that outlines your student's academic goals and aspirations, helping them make informed decisions about their subject choices and future pathways.

To ensure your student's SET Plan journey is as smooth as possible, our dedicated study coaches are meeting with all Year 10 students from 18th August. These interviews play a pivotal role in shaping your student's academic trajectory and aligning their aspirations with their chosen subjects. Parents will be invited to make appointment times with their student’s study coach within the two-week block commencing on the 18/8/2025, and information about how to make those appointments will be sent home prior to the bookings database opening.

In the next weeks, information about the SET Plan Journey and process will be emailed home to parents. We urge you to read the information as it covers important information regarding the senior schooling guidelines and the wide array of subject offerings available to your student.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to our school administration. We are here to provide the guidance and support you need to ensure your student's SET Plan process is a success.

Liz Walker – Deputy Principal

Bullyproof

Our recent Bully Proof sessions have been focussing on our Circle of Control. The Circle of Control is a visual representation of the things that are in and out of our control.

The innermost circle encompasses the things we have direct control over, such as how we react, the amount of effort we apply and what we choose to say and do. It is within this circle that we can effect change which leads to more effective and proactive decision making and problem solving.

The outer circle reflects the things we have less or no control over, such as the weather, other people’s happiness and what others choose to do, say or believe.

When we focus our attention on our circle of control, we can free ourselves of the worries of uncontrollable factors and focus on the constructive actions and mindset we can instead create for ourselves. Next time you or your child find themselves worrying about a situation, ask- is this in my circle of control?

Bree Lyster - Teacher

Online Safety Basics

We can help our children safely navigate the online world by taking some basic steps to reduce the risks. Our support and guidance can give our children the knowledge to make sound decisions online and the confidence to ask for help when they need it.

Three key strategies

1) Be engaged, open and supportive. Get involved with your child’s online activities as a family. Play games together. Talk about favourite apps, games or websites. Keep lines of communication open. Ask about their online experiences, who they are talking to and whether they are having any issues.

2) Reassure your child they can always come to you, no matter what. Your child may not communicate openly about things that worry them online if they fear being in trouble if they tell you. Let them know you will not cut off internet or device access if they tell you they’re feeling uncomfortable or unsafe online.

3) If you notice a change in your child’s behaviour or mood, talk with them about it. If you are concerned, consider seeking professional help – from your GP, a psychologist or school counsellor.

Set some rules

Set rules for devices and online access, with consequences for breaking them. As they grow in online skills and maturity you can review your rules together. Get your child’s input — this will help them understand risks. Model behaviour that you would like to see. Children will be more likely to follow rules if they see you doing the same.

Consider creating a family tech agreement (sometimes called a family media plan or family online safety agreement). This is a set of rules about how devices are used in your home as well as what acceptable online behaviour looks like. eSafety has created downloadable templates for families with children under 5 or those with kids aged 5 to 8 years. For families with older children, The Family Online Safety Contract from ThinkUKnow Australia External link is a good starting point.

Use safety features and settings

Get to know the devices you and your children use and set them up for privacy and online safety. Take advantage of parental controls to monitor and control screen time and access to content, based on your child’s age and experience.

Choose apps and games carefully and visit the App Store or Google Play for age ratings and consumer advice. As children start to navigate the online world and interact with others more independently, they are more likely to be exposed to risks of bullying or unsafe contact, to accidentally come across content not designed for children or overspending on in-app purchases. Your guidance can help them watch for risks and understand what is expected of them. Let them know you are always there to support them.

Keep the computer or device in an area of your home that can be supervised. Check in regularly with your child to see what they are viewing.

Stay engaged with their online activity. Consider setting up your own accounts with the sites they use most, or simply browsing the content, so you can see how they work and understand the risks. Show good privacy habits by asking your child before sending them a 'friend' or follow request. If they say they don't want to connect with you online, it may be a good opportunity to talk about risks and rules.

Explore the online world with them to help establish that you can share online activities as a family. You might want to play games with them or do a creative project together.

Think about social media readiness. Most social media sites require users to be at least 13 years old before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13. See are they old enough?

Encourage respect and empathy. Teach your child to avoid sharing or posting things that may upset others.

Start building resilience. Explain to your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. This includes immediately telling you or another trusted adult of any concerns or uncomfortable material.

Encourage them to learn about online safety.

Ensure your own devices are protected by a password or PIN, so your child can’t accidentally come across content not intended for children.

If you are thinking about giving them their own tablet or smartphone, check out are they old enough?

If your child does have their own device, avoid logging into your own accounts on that device. This will prevent any content you have stored in the cloud that may not be child-friendly from synchronising (downloading or sharing to) your child’s device.

Use parental control tools you feel are right for the age and experience of your child. Be upfront and get your child on board. Let them know these can be reviewed and changed as they get older, if they show responsible behaviour. Consider installing a ‘child-friendly’ search engine that will allow them to explore a limited number of sites.

For additional information and links see eSafety

Source: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/online-safety-basics

Amanda Ericson – Student Wellbeing Professional - Guidance Officer 
North Coast Region

Ecoman Business Workshop

Two Year 10 students from Gin Gin State High School accepted the challenge to participate in the Ulton Accountant, Ecoman workshop over three days, in Bundaberg. This opportunity is available to all Bundaberg district schools and provides opportunity for students to gain:

• An appreciation of the integrated nature of business and the need for balance in a company’s operations.
• Insight into teamwork and group dynamics.
• Skills in business presentation, particularly of company reports.

Jackson and Samuel represented Gin Gin State High School proudly, both students were placed in opposing teams with different schools. This was commended by the Ecoman trainers as other students in the competition were working alongside familiar peers.

What did the students learn?

As a co-director of an operating company which had been running for ten years, students attempted to run the company successfully for a further four years. Students made decisions about:

• Demand for their product
• Production outputs
• Sales and marketing
• Environmental impacts
• Training and numbers of personnel
• Management of budgets
• Income and expenditure statements
• Dividends paid
• Borrowing

All of this took place competing against other companies (schools) and against an economic scenario for each year of the company’s operations. At the end of the ECOMAN program, students reported to Ulton representatives impersonating key stakeholders on their company’s success.

Below are images of Jackson and Samuel presenting their section of their companies’ report:

The results of the competition:

At the end of day one and day two Jackson’s company was leading the way, however Samuel’s company overtook them on the third day, winning the final challenge overall by $1. Jackson’s company placing second overall. The difference between all competing companies was $8. Congratulations to Samuel and Jackson for your effort in this competition, well done on your achievements within the workshop.

Thank you to Ulton Accountants for this continued opportunity for Gin Gin State High School to participate in this invaluable workshop.

Lin McDermid - Acting HOD

Gin Gin State High School Discover New Insect Species

A few years ago, students from the Gin Gin State High School Science faculty began an exciting Citizen Science collaboration with Dr Andy Howe from the University of the Sunshine Coast and Dr Erinn Fagan-Jeffries from the University of Adelaide. Their goal was to assist in collecting insect specimens in the hope of discovering species that had not yet been formally classified or named.

Astonishingly, it is estimated that up to 85% of the world’s insect species remain undiscovered. During the project, Gin Gin State High School’s senior science students set up a Malaise trap and collected hundreds of specimens. Among them was a tiny parasitic wasp that turned out to be entirely new to science.

After a rigorous identification and taxonomy process, the students were given the extraordinary opportunity to name the newly discovered species. The whole school community was invited to contribute to the naming process, and the wasp has now been officially recognised as *Cotesia ginginensis*—a lasting tribute to the students and school who discovered it.

To be involved in an internationally recognised scientific classification is a rare honour, one that many professional scientists never achieve in their lifetimes. For our rural students to have their discovery forever recorded in the global scientific record is a remarkable achievement.

Congratulations to all involved—Gin Gin State High Sschool is now firmly stamped in the annals of scientific history!

Karyn Goodman – HOD

STEM-tacular Camp

In week 9 Piper, Grace and I were all selected to attend the Year 9 girls STEM camp at Boyne Island Environmental Education Centre. This camp gave us a deeper insight into what STEM is about and how it can be explored in nature. It opened our minds about career paths we could take in the future.

The facility is all about providing an open learning space but also incorporates fun into the activities. The highlights of the camp for us were doing the leap of faith, the trip to the Facing Island and just meeting new people in general.

Overall, we really enjoyed ourselves and were glad to get the opportunity to attend this camp and work together in the STEM arena.

Natalia Buchbach – Year 9 Student

Spark Camp

The Spark Engineering camp was the best event that I have ever taken part in. From the moment I took my first step on the campus I knew I was going to love it. I was welcomed and greeted by the smiling faces of the staffies, whose job it is to help young people like me understand what university is and what it entails.

Each staffie had a different story to tell with their own unique personalities and all of them were an absolute blast to be around. The whole program was incredibly inviting and welcoming to all. Every single question that I had about university was answered and I have come out of the experience with so much more knowledge, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to participate.

We went to several different universities such as Griffith, UQ, CQU and QUT to learn about how they function and what they offer in terms of fields for study and courses available. The entire experience was sponsored by Spark Engineering and I am very grateful to them for the opportunity. This experience is incredibly helpful for students in rural areas who want to participate in tertiary education.

Overall, the experience was unrivalled being incredibly helpful and fun, I would participate in the experience again in a heartbeat if given the opportunity and I would strongly recommend that anyone thinking about going to university should apply for Spark.

Wyatt Burgess – Year 10 Student

Term 2 Robotics Competition

In week 9 of last term, three teams of keen Gin Gin State High School Robotics Club students competed in the Bundaberg region RoboCup competition, hosted at Kepnock State High School. The students in these teams spent the term designing and programming Lego robots to compete in the Rescue challenge. This challenge simulated using a robot to respond to a chemical spill. Students were required to program their robot to follow a line through challenging courses, avoiding and manoeuvring through obstacles, to rescue a target from a contamination zone, before then finding its way back out to safety.

The students from Gin Gin State High School competed well, with two teams scoring enough points to make it through to the finals, which consisted of head-to-head time trials between the top wix teams. Unfortunately, Jackson and Wyatt’s robot “Cupcake” finished in 7th place overall, only just missing out on making it into the finals. As for the other two teams, the competition in the finals was very tough. Maria-Louise and Amelia’s robot “Squeakers” finished in 6th place, and Aurelia and Tait’s robot “American Hearts” just missed out on the podium, finishing 4th overall. Thank you to the students involved who represented our school so well, along with Mrs Armstrong who assisted the teams at the competition.

Matt Ward – Teacher

WARriors Keep Winning!

Our amazing WAR (Warriors Against Rubbish) team has had another hugely successful term! Despite the cooler weather slowing down drink sales, we still managed to raise over $700 through the Containers for Change program. A big reason for this success was having our bins at the Gin Gin Show — and an even bigger thank you goes to Leeroy from our Senior Life Skills class for volunteering his time to make sure the bins were emptied regularly throughout the event. Great work, Leeroy!

Back at school, our Senior Life Skills students have continued their efforts collecting bottles, compost, and paper from classrooms and staffrooms. They ensure everything is sorted properly, lids are removed, and bottles are rinsed if needed. Their hard work keeps the WAR engine running smoothly!

The committed members of our WAR team have been sorting through the school’s rubbish bins each week, pulling out roadside recyclables, food scraps, and paper towel. Thanks to their dedication, we consistently fill two roadside recycling bins every week and recover kilograms of compostable waste.

Our Year 8 and 9 Agriculture classes have been turning these efforts into something amazing — two large compost piles each week, each over 1 cubic metre in size! The students are mixing food scraps, paper towel, and green waste into rich, fertile compost for use in our gardens and crops.

We're incredibly proud of the teamwork and effort that goes into making our school more sustainable every day.

How You Can Help:
If your family or friends would like to support our efforts, we’d love your donations of eligible Containers for Change. Simply drop them off in the yellow/green bin out the front of the school.

Let’s keep making a difference — one container, one compost pile at a time!

Stuart Napier – Teacher

From Pizza Boxes to Garden Beds

Students turn celebration into sustainability with a zero-waste lunch.

At Gin Gin State High School, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword — it’s baked into everything we do. Just last term, over 70 pizza boxes were diverted from landfill and turned into nutrient-rich compost, thanks to the school’s growing commitment to recycling and closed-loop gardening.

In the final week of Term 2, students who had met key behaviour and responsibility targets — such as attendance, uniform, laptop readiness, and diary use — were rewarded with an in-house movie screening and a popcorn-and-pizza lunch. While the slices disappeared quickly, the boxes were saved for something more lasting.

On the second-last day of term, the emptied boxes were shredded and added to a specially prepared compost bay. Now, just four weeks later, with the help of worms, microbes, and a little time, those greasy cardboard containers have broken down into rich, loamy compost.

We already made use of the compost in our school garden beds — closing the loop between celebration and cultivation.

A big thanks to the WAR team (Warriors Against Rubbish) and Ag staff for leading the charge in turning everyday waste into tomorrow’s vegetables. See the photos below of the resulting compost!

Jeff Roberts - Teacher

Vale Richard Cox

Richard and Margot Cox became a part of our school community in the early 2000’s when their children enrolled at Gin Gin State High School. Their involvement continued throughout the decades that followed.

Our local area boasts a world class rowing facility at Bucca. Over the years our school has offered students the opportunity to learn how to row and compete in rowing competitions at a district, state, national and international level. The Cox family participation in the rowing program led to a life-long dedication to rowing.

After school a few days a week a motley crew of students would board the Bucca bus or climb into parents’ cars to get to the rowing course.  Richard would already be there repairing the boats, painting the buildings or mowing the grass. There was never enough time to get all the jobs done. Then it was time to down tools and help students get the boats to the river, and train students and coaches. Richard was there to help at training camps and regattas.

Competitions saw Richard load up the car with camping equipment and a trailer of boats, and journey to places such as Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Pine Rivers, Cairns and even interstate followed by an eager convoy of competitors and families. Some students even had the privilege of competing internationally in New Zealand.

Richard, your time and dedications won’t be forgotten, you will be sorely missed.  Our condolences to Margot and the family.

Catherina Crossan - Science Officer

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

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.

Tender of School Items

Please feel to share with anyone you think may be interested.  Offers due by Friday 29 August at 3.00pm.  

For further information, please contact Diann Cross on 4133 2111.

One Step at a time

Walk for Mental Health.

On 23 August there is a Mount Perry Summit Walk for Mental Health. All proceeds from the day go to support our local Chaplains through the Local Chaplaincy Committee

For more information please see flyer below.

Susan Bengtson – Gin Gin Local Chaplaincy Committee

Building Protective Communities: Mobilising Local Networks in Understanding and Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service, and Child Protection Week Advisory Group are hosting a workshop.

It is free with morning tea, on Tuesday 9^th September 9am-1pm at The Old Tourist Centre.

It is all about understanding and seeing how we can work together to prevent child sexual abuse, and there will be some great speakers.

Sarah Malatino : WBHHS-BDB-SART@health.qld.gov.au

School Community Disco

Brought to you by the local ES Cadets and the Community Hub — get ready to light up the night at the Community Disco! Wear your brightest colours and dance the night away with epic music and good vibes.

Where: The Gin Gin primary school
When: Friday 5th of September
Primary School Age: 5:00 to 7:00 pm
High School Age: 7:30 to 9:30 pm

Melissa Bayntun - Gin Gin Neighbourhood Centre Community Development Officer

Bundaberg Regional Council

Bundaberg Regional Council have several events coming up. See flyers below.

2025 Paint Gin Gin REaD Week

The annual Paint Gin Gin REaD Book Week Displays are coming very soon!.  See flyer for more information.

Walkervale State School Spring Fair

Walkervale State School will be holding a Spring Fair.  See flyer below.

Fear-Less Triple P

Parenting Workshop

Help you children cope with challenges, manage anxiety and become emotionally resilient. 

Venue: Gin Gin Youth Activity Centre

Date: Sunday 24^th August 2025

For more information, see flyer below

Ulton Vacation Program

Applications for September-October vacation program are now open.  See flyer below.

Amber Mizzi - People and Culture Administrator, Ulton

World Festival of Magic

World Festival of Magic has been organized as a special FREE outing to bring some joy and laughter to the children, teenagers and families who have been having a hard time due to illness, disabilities, or other health related issues as well as children in protective custody.  This also includes those who may be experiencing emotional and/or financial difficulties.

For tickets and if you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to send an email to showtickets@helpthekids.com.au or Call Rae on (07) 3810 2587 (MON – WED, 10AM-2PM)

Date:                Wednesday 29^th of October 2025
Cost:                FREE
Tickets:           One ticket per person attending the show. Children MUST be accompanied by an adult.
Seating:           Seating isn’t allocated.
Time:               6PM
Duration:        Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes
Location:        Moncrief Theatre, 177 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg, QLD, Australia, Queensland

Rae – Help the Kids

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