We have had a wonderful fortnight at Queechy High School with some significant events taking place.

Our Production, All Shook Up has been a massive success. We even had members of the public who aren’t involved with the school ring and share their joy from the performance. Our students were brilliant in their performance and the overall spectacle was certainly worth going along to see. It is wonderful that a broad cross section of our student body has engaged in this opportunity and will certainly remember this event for a long time to follow. Their growth across the time they have been involved from auditioning, practising and performing has been immense. A huge thank you to all the staff involved for their guidance, commitment and expertise in bringing this all together. Thank you for your support of this event if you were able to attend.

Our senior girls football team were successful in the Grand Final verse Riverside. There were some great skills and teamwork on display and we are hopeful that their form continues at
Hawks Cup in a few weeks’ time. We have a number of teams playing in Grand Finals this week. We wish them all well, knowing that they will continue to represent us well.

Our Grade 10's have a very busy fortnight coming up. Exams started on Monday and continue through until Tuesday next week. This will be followed by their
Grade 10 Camp to Maria Island in Week 9. The exam experience provides students with exposure to assessment expectations in further learning situations. The ability to retain information from prior learning in conjunction with managing themselves and their emotions are valuable lessons for them to take forward. Students have been supported with their preparation, and we wish them all the best with this challenge.

We are trialling some new approaches in tutor groups to further develop our relationships with and between students. Students will be offered targeted activities across the week, and we continue to encourage all our students to arrive at school prior to 8:45am to ensure they have a settled and structured start to their day. Families assistance with this is appreciated. If students aren’t here, they miss the opportunities we are trialling.

Diving into History with the Titanic
This term, Grade 8 English students have been embarking on an exciting voyage into the past as they study the Titanic.

Through film, historical accounts, and creative writing tasks, students are uncovering the events surrounding the ship’s tragic fate more than 100 years ago.

By the end of the unit, students will understand the key features of a historical recount and apply these skills to craft a memoir written from the perspective of a Titanic survivor. Drawing inspiration from characters in the movie, they will bring history to life by blending factual detail with powerful storytelling.

The students have embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, engaging in lively discussions about what may have happened on that fateful night and piecing together the human stories behind the headlines. This unit has been a perfect blend of history, empathy, and creativity, helping students to develop not only their writing skills, but also their ability to imagine the past through another person’s eyes.

In Health this term we are participating in a
Personal Relationship and Sexuality unit. This is covering puberty, relationships, toxic traits in relationships, reproductive organs, LGTBIQ+ terminology, conception, contraception and pregnancy. The aim is to increase student knowledge and acceptance in this area.

In Physical Education we are participating in a Sport Ed Model. Students (in small groups) had two lessons to plan a lesson that they would be teaching based on a particular physical skill (throwing, catching, dribbling, defence tactics, spatial awareness etc). Their lesson needs to include a warmup, a couple of drills focussing on their chosen skill and a game that incorporates the drills and the skills. Each group will lead their class once throughout the term. It’s great to see the leadership skills coming forward, and students being supportive to their peers in a challenging situation.

Grade 9 HaSS students have been learning about the effects of the Industrial Revolution on Australia and the rest of the world. They then looked at Australian history and the effects of colonisation, settlement and invasion on the Indigenous people of Australia. Students are currently studying globalisation and its effects on the world and learning how frozen raspberries travel all the way to Australia from Serbia.

In Grade 10 Maths this term, we have been focussed on Quadratic Equations and  Trigonometry and most recently on exam preparation.

We are seeking to develop a number of capabilities along with the specific knowledge throughout our units. Whilst calculators are an important tool for learning and in life, we have been encouraging students to continue to estimate how reasonable their answers are and if they have validity. We have shown students various methods on how to check their answers for accuracy.

From a knowledge perspective we strongly encourage students to show their working out. This allows teachers to see the understanding students have of processes and provides great teaching moments to assist rectifying any misconceptions that may have occurred. Without this insight, answers are simply right or wrong.

This term, our Grade 7 students have been trialling the exciting new science program Stile, diving into the world of physics through interactive lessons and hands-on projects. They've explored the differences between push and pull forces and learned to identify contact and non-contact forces in everyday life. To bring these concepts to life, students have been building their own catapults and parachutes. It’s been a fantastic way to spark curiosity and deepen their understanding of the physical world. 

Cartooning and Digital Art
We've made it to week 6, and I'm incredibly impressed with the progress I'm seeing in students portfolios! The dedication shown in developing and bringing comics to life is truly fantastic.

I've been reviewing work, and I am impressed with the students creative energy and their unique perspectives are really shining through. Keep up the great work! I'm excited to see how your projects evolve over the next few weeks.

Over time students will refine their concepts, experiment with new techniques, and polish their work. I'm looking forward to seeing what they produce next. Let's keep the momentum going!

Below is some Art by one student, Isys, in Grade 9. 

Our Grade 11/12 students had a busy and rewarding
Book Week, celebrating the joy of reading with both the youngest and oldest members of our community. 

At South Launceston Early Learning, students led story time sessions with the children and organised fun activities linked to the books they read. The little ones enjoyed not only listening to stories but also engaging in creative, hands-on activities. 

Our students also visited Regis Aged Care, where they shared the spirit of Book Week in a very different way. Residents joined in the dress-up fun, sharing plenty of laughs as favourite book characters made an appearance. Together, they also crafted personlised bookmarks. The activities sparked lots of laughter and creativity across generations. 

These visits highlighted the power of books to connect people across generations. Our students showed initiative, creativity, and compassion while helping others experience the magic of Book Week.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined in the fun! 

A group of mixed Grade 9/10 students along with our catering students recently had the opportunity to participate in the Hospitality Tasmania's Showcase event. This was held at Drysdale in Launceston with industry professionals taking students through some practical activities for some hands-on learning.

This year, alongside the very popular mocktail making in the bar and coffee making in the specialty barista classroom, they had the opportunity to cook their own pancakes in the commercial cookery kitchen.

A new experience was the VR headsets. Students gave it a red hot go making cocktails while being instructed through the headsets. Unsurprisingly this activity was just as popular with the students as the actual cooking and making.