This term Grade 9 students have been focusing on Australian texts, primarily concentrating on texts from First Nations Australians.

The main text the students have engaged with is The Rabbits by John Marsden and Shaun Tan. The Rabbits is a children’s picture book about the European invasion and colonisation of Australia, told from the perspective of Native Australian’s.

Students have been analysing the texts story, meaning and context through textual and visual analysis. This has been achieved using diverse ways of thinking. Ask your student about the 6 hats of thinking.

Next, we will be analysing several poems, songs and films from First Nations people.

Grade 9 and 10 Drama students attended a workshop on “Physical Theatrical Comedy” run by Grace Roberts from IO performance Theatre Company. They learnt about the elements of physical comedy which they will be using in the scripted performance they are presenting in December called “Coldark Castle”.

The Thursday afternoon Drama group worked on a Halloween performance (surprisingly on Halloween). In this picture below we see the evil haunted house owner.

This term, our Grade 8 maths students have been exploring some exciting new areas of mathematics! They recently wrapped up a unit on linear relationships, where they learnt to understand and interpret relationships between variables. Students mastered skills such as graphing linear equations, identifying slopes and intercepts, and solving real-world problems that involve linear patterns.

After completing this unit, students shifted their focus to statistics, where they are now delving into data collection and analysis. In this unit, they’ll learn to create and interpret various data displays like bar graphs. Through hands-on activities, students will practice collecting data, analysing trends, and making predictions—skills that are increasingly valuable in our data-driven world.

This term, our Grade 9 science students have been diving into the fascinating world of atomic structure and chemical reactions. By exploring what makes up an atom—protons, neutrons, and electrons—they’re gaining insights into the very building blocks of everything around us. Students have learnt about how atoms combine and rearrange during chemical reactions, forming new substances through a variety of reaction types.

Recently, we conducted an exciting experiment: the Flame Test! This lab allowed students to observe how different elements produce distinct colours when heated in a flame. Through this hands-on experience, students discovered that the colours seen in fireworks, for example, are due to specific elements burning at particular colours: sodium gives a bright yellow, copper burns green, and lithium glows red. Each colour corresponds to a unique pattern of electron movement within the atom, releasing energy as visible light.

The flame test experiment has sparked great curiosity among students about the real-world applications of atomic theory and chemical reactions. Next, we’ll be investigating how these reactions occur on a deeper level, examining the role of energy changes and the law of conservation of mass in chemical processes.

Grade 9s Delve into the Great War

Our Grade 9 History students have been immersed in the complexities of World War I. Through engaging lessons and thought-provoking discussions, they've explored the causes, key events, and lasting impact of this global conflict.

Students have had the opportunity to:

• Analyse primary sources: Examine letters, photographs, and historical documents to gain firsthand insights into the experiences of soldiers and civilians.
• Map historical events: Trace the progression of the war across various battlefronts.
• Debate key issues: Engage in critical thinking and develop their own perspectives on controversial topics such as nationalism and conscription.
• Create historical narratives: Write compelling stories and essays that bring history to life.

By studying this significant period in world history, our students are developing a deeper understanding of the human cost of war and the importance of peace.

As I mentioned in the most recent Newsletter, term four is always an extremely busy time in schools and we now only have 4 weeks remaining in the year. It is very important, however, that all students remain focused for the remainder of the year as the content they learn over those 4 weeks will help prepare them for 2025.

This past Wednesday saw our 2025 Grade 7 students attend their Orientation Day here at Queechy High School. I was very impressed with the way our future Grade 7 students participated in the lessons and activities that were organised for the day. Grade 7 is a big change for students and, as always, if any parents have any further questions about 2025, please get in touch with the school to talk to one of our staff.
Mr Ben Van Est will be the Grade 7 AST in 2025, and
Mr Woolley and Miss Mckay will be the Grade Leader. Students were also handed an information pack at the end of Orientation Day to provide more information about what they can expect as they embark on their high school journey.

Last weekend, several of our students represented our school at the High School basketball championships. I have been inundated with amazing positive feedback from the community about how our students represented the school, the sportsmanship they showed, their support for each other, and how proud they all were of our amazing school. This indicates how well we are traveling as a school and how far we have come in our improvement journey this year.

Another exciting piece of news is that Mr King has been frantically auditioning for our 2025 whole-school production of “All Shook Up”. This is going to be an amazing opportunity for many students to showcase their artistic talents.

On Sunday the 24^th of November all of our new gym equipment arrives and will be ready for all students and staff to use as of next week. This new facility will complement all of our athletic development programs. We are very excited about this new facility.

On Tuesday 12th November our wonderful college students celebrated their end of Grade 11 with a dinner at Cataract on Paterson. We as a school are so proud of the growth and resilance these students have demonstrated throughout the year and we wish them all the best for their extended break before we welcome them all back for 2025 for Grade 12. Thank you to Mrs Steph Milner, Mrs Bea Aykarin and Mrs Fran Smyth for giving up their time to celebrate with our students.

- Luke Tepper, Year 11-12 Advanced Skills Teacher.

On Friday 15th November, some of our Grade 9s were privileged to hear from Nathan Geard during our Activities Day.

Nathan is the owner of CrossFit Agema, is the Master of Ceremonies for some of the local MMA fights, has a lawnscaping business and is also a gifted singer and guitarist who plays in a band.

We interviewed Nathan about his journey after High School, lessons he has learnt from running a business, the importance of people skills and why it can be a good thing to have several interests in life.

Nathan was an amazing communicator and it was a fantastic opportunity for our students to hear from him.

During week 5, Grade 9 students had their camp at Scout Island, under the supervision of a former QHS Teacher, Mr Djakic. Students were able to enjoy different activities on the Island, including kayaking/canoeing, abseiling, a number of team building activities and some down time. It was fantastic to see students push themselves out of their comfort zone and try different things, as well as connect with each other in a more unique environment! The Grade 9s were absolutely excellent and a big thank you to the staff who gave of their time to make the camp a great success!