To start the Term Grade 7 students have been working hard in English to complete their novel studies. Classes have worked on the novels Hatchet, A Long Walk to Water and Matilda. Throughout these units, students have focused on paragraph writing skills which has culminated in them writing an essay. They have also focused on public speaking, presenting their knowledge of the novel to the rest of the class.

Classes are now starting to move into our Term 3 unit which focuses on life stories and the different ways these can be told. Students will be analysing visual and written texts to communicate the different elements that authors use to engage an audience.

For Grade  7 HaSS, students have been studying Indigenous archaeological sites. They have learnt about the migration patterns, evidence of culture practices and land management of Indigenous Australians. This unit was concluded by students creating an information poster on four significant archaeological sites within Australia. The poster had to illustrate the location of these sites, what was found at each site that helped us to learn about Indigenous people and how they lived thousands of years ago.

The following posters were created by Callum, Leo and Naida

In Term 2, Grade 10 students have completed their biology unit, focusing on genetics, Punnett squares, and pedigree charts. They explored the fundamentals of heredity, learning how traits are passed from one generation to the next. By using Punnett squares, they predicted the probability of offspring inheriting traits, while pedigree charts helped them trace genetic conditions through families. The students demonstrated strong analytical skills and a solid understanding of genetic principles, preparing them for more advanced studies in the field.

In Term 3, students will embark on an exciting journey into the world of physics, where they will explore fundamental concepts of motion, energy, and forces. They will dive into the laws of physics that govern everyday life, from understanding how gravity works and examine the principles behind electricity and magnetism. Through hands-on experiments and interactive lessons, students will develop critical thinking skills and a deeper appreciation for the physical world. 

This Term, our Grade 9 students are tackling key math topics: linear equations, coordinate geometry, and proportional geometry. They're learning to solve and graph linear equations, understand geometric figures on the coordinate plane, and explore proportional relationships in shapes.

Through engaging activities and practical examples, students are not only mastering these concepts but also discovering their real-world applications. We're proud of their hard work and progress, and we look forward to seeing them continue to excel in mathematics! Great job, Grade 9.

Welcome back everyone! I hope that all families had an enjoyable break and are ready for what is shaping up to be a very exciting Term at Queechy High School. 

I am consistently amazed at the conscious effort, commitment and persistence to learning that is demonstrated everyday by our staff and students. I can walk into any classroom at any time of the day and ask students what they are learning about, and they always can articulate what they are learning and the purpose of learning it. I see students asking questions about what they must do to improve which is proof that we have a very strong culture of learning here at Queechy.

As a school, we have developed a set of schoolwide expectations in relation to learning and behaviour. These have been developed to ensure there is consistency across the school and to maintain the extremely high standards of behaviour and learning that we now expect every day. I have included a copy of these expectations in this newsletter to share with our community the things that we value and expect of our students and staff.

At the end of last term, we farewelled Miss Phoebe Bowen and Mrs Lynda Hain. I would like to sincerely thank Phoebe and Lynda for their excellent work and dedication to providing excellent learning opportunities for our students. This term we welcome Miss Chelsea Waller who is replacing Lynda and Mr Hamish Stubbings who is replacing Phoebe.  

We wish to congratulate Ryder who was recently selected in the All Australian under sixteen football team. This is a tremendous result and reward for all of Ryder’s hard work and dedication that he has put into his football this year. Well done, Ryder

At Queechy High School positive relationships between teachers, students and parents are a vital step towards engaging learners and allowing students to master 21^st century skills. Having a positive attitude about our school is fundamentally important to improving student outcomes.

Research has proven, that parents who are proactive in communicating with teachers about what their children are learning, attending school events and having a positive attitude about the school leads to students reaching their full potential and living healthy and productive lives.

An excellent way to immerse yourself in the day-to-day business of the school is become part of the School Association. Please contact the school if you would like some more information about when the School Association meets.

Student’s attending school every day is so important for their social and intellectual development. Research has proven that when students attend school all day and every day, they achieve much better results and give themselves a greater chance of a successful future. School helps students build important life skills such as teamwork, communication and resilience along with developing their academic understanding. Parents need to be aware as well that it is a legal requirement that students attend school. Under the law you must make sure that your child attends school every day unless you have a reasonable explanation. It is very important that you don’t keep your child away from school for minor reasons. You can expect Queechy High School to do the following:-

•  Monitor student attendance.
• The office will communicate every time your child is absent from school.
•  We will follow up on any unexplained absences.
• Provide students with real-life authentic experiences to engage them in their learning.
• Work with you around strategies to encourage your child to come to school.

It is really important that if your child is absent from school, you contact the office and provide a reason. If you have any problems getting your child or children to school, please contact us for advice or support.

This year students have been introduced to many new and interesting areas in Introduction to Psychology such as the nature v nurture debate. In this area students were given the task of ‘building a brain’ to see how different genetic and environmental factors impact on a person’s development.  We then looked at some twin studies, where people that were separated at birth have many of the same characteristics and traits as their siblings although they have never met.  This led to many interesting and engaging classroom debates.

Currently students are finishing their unit on consciousness.  In this unit students have looked at the different states of consciousness and are now looking at dreaming and the impact that lack of sleep can have on our development.

Grade 7/8 Graphic and computer design students used the 3D printers to make their characters that they will use in design animation later one. 

On Monday, 22nd July, Shiona and Emma came to visit who work in the Child Health Nurse and Child Health Education Industries come visit. CHaPs are a free service with 70 clinics statewide! They are a primary health service where prevention is key for raising healthy babies and supporting new parents. They also support young parents aged 15-19 with their 'cu@home' program, children 6 to 18 with their Wetaway program, and have virtual support for those who require assessments and appointments online or over the phone.

Our students got to see a demonstration of what an appointment may look like for first time parents who are having their babies weighed, measured and checked over. They learnt about developmental milestones, brain development, language development and red flags which may require a referral to another provider.

Some lessons that stuck in our students' minds were:

• It takes a village to raise a child. Many parents may require help, and that's okay.
• Today's guest speakers delivered plenty of valuable information about another possible career.
• The differences in brain development at birth/6 years/14 years was surprising.
• Formula feeding raises the risk of SIDS.
• Child development was really interesting.
• I learnt lots about safe sleeping and risks.
• SIDS is more frequent than I thought.
• I learnt that emotions and caring for your baby is important to help their brains grow.

Our NAIDOC Assembly was held on the first Thursday of Term 3, as NAIDOC Week fell during the holidays this year. Ex-student and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre worker, Kawanji Greaves welcomed us to country in palawa kani (language of Tasmanian Aboriginal people) and presented Mr Frerk with books, in the language, by two of our students, Heidi and Paige. Trudy Maluga, Queechy parent and Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre worker, spoke on the theme Blak, Loud and Proud. Her powerfully delivered speech was commendable proof of the pride and resilience of her community.

Grade 9 students Bella, Wentworth and Rihanna then presented a commemoration of the battles fought by Aboriginal people to retain their lands and culture, followed by a very respectfully held moment of silence. Tristan concluded the commemoration by presenting a banksia tree to the school, to ensure that the memory of what Aboriginal resistance fighters endured is not forgotten. The plaque, made by him in MDT to go with the tree, reads- “My history and culture are rich like the soil I'm embedded in, my roots guide my growth, I stand here tall and proud. - to commemorate the struggles of the Palawa people.”  

We were proud of our students who had completed Deadly Choices, a healthy lifestyle program. Our thanks went to its deliverer, Cody Apted, from Karadi Aboriginal Corporation, who presented successful students with graduation packages and to our SLB co-presidents, Millie and Ollie who shared their views on the significance of NAIDOC Week. The assembly was closed by Barkindji man, Bob Wilson, who sang songs he had written that reflected on his life as an Aboriginal, growing up in an old tin shack with newspaper walls. He is always a popular performer whose teaching tool is his music.

We are grateful to community members who attended, including Judith Rose Thomas who is engaging in an art project with students, and Helen and Jacquie Spotswood who catered for our nutritious NAIDOC lunch. With such community support our students will continue to be loud and proud.

We were proud of all of us for being able to get that assembly together, so everyone could acknowledge our culture. It was a very heartwarming assembly. All of the speeches everyone made were respectful and heartwarming. We were lucky to have that experience. 

Newstead College has their Year 10 Family Information Evening which will be a great a opportunity to learn more about our courses, programs, culture and student support services. 

When: Tuesday 27th August, 7 pm

Where: Newstead College Auditorium, 30 Cypress Street, Newstead

RSVP: https://forms.office.com/r/0fGEw86zg6