This term students have been learning about Feudal Japan (1400-1900). Students describe the role of significant individuals, groups and institutions connected to the societies of these periods and their influences on historical events. 

Here is an excerpt of a letter a student wrote from a perspective of a Father to his Son.

Samurai: Letter to Son

“Dear Son

I hope this letter find you in good health, but as of now, this will be the last time I try to convince you. I’ve tried everything, but you’ve just never seemed to get this damned idea of loyalty to the Ashikaga out of your head. We’re samurai, son; we pledge loyalty to our daimyo, but first and foremost, our loyalty lies with the emperor. This isn’t how you were raised. Your mother was a woman who swore fealty to the emperor, just as I, so think of your family, think of the emperor, think of who you’re betraying. After the Ashikaga fails to usurp God’s chosen son, what do you expect to happen next? You’ll be treated as some coward dog and forced to commit seppuku. Think, do you truly believe this is what I want for my family? If you go with that wretched snake Ashikaga, you’ll be defeated by the fellow Samurai who you once stood by that treated you like a brother. All you’ll bring is dishonour to the family if you go through with this.

You rattle on and on about an Ashikaga shogunate bringing back this ‘right of warrior’ or ‘warrior government’, and constantly bring up the artistic endeavours that the Ashikaga seek to bring us, but is all that truly worth betraying your loyalty to the emperor? I’ve spent almost 40 years under the Ashikaga, and the literature, or the arts that’ll surely flourish aren’t worth my loyalty, the emperor is God’s chosen son, to go against him, is to go against the Gods themselves. And what good is the arts flourishing under the Ashikaga for us? You fight for the rights for a world you’ll never even get to see. Myself, I’d much rather stick with my emperor, and align myself with the God’s. The only ones this senseless war will affect is the Peasants, we’re fighting for their rights mostly, no. The arts, literature, everything will just be for them…

Whilst Ashikaga holds on to their power through fickle wars and plotting, Kamakura has sworn their allegiance, we hold trust in the God’s, and we hold our power through the respect for our arts, and our loyalty to our emperor. We, unlike Ashikaga, hold ourselves to a level of respect unlike yours. We hold our heads high, and march forwards from the emperor’s orders.

Sincerely: Your Father, Please Reconsider, for both of us.”

Grade 9 English classes have been focussing on Australian texts and specifically visual analysis to begin the term.  To understand how words and images work together to create meaning, 9G have worked on creating their own picture books in small groups.  The level of co-operation and creativity have been outstanding as students have chosen to tackle themes like grief, loss and betrayal through their creations.  Here are some things students have said about the unit so far:

“It gave me an opportunity to pursue serious messages through an alternate medium.”

“This unit has been fun and stimulates our creativity. Some challenges have been figuring out what to write to accompany our pictures.”

“A success has been the creative process.”

“I really loved and was proud of the final result.” 

Here are the front covers of just a few amazing new creations.

Following their exams at the end of term 3, year 10 students have begun term 4 by completing their unit on quadratic equations. This included exploring the theory as well as investigations such as mapping the projectile motion of a basketball free throw attempt.

As we approach the end of the year students have started their final unit on Statistics and probability. Students have thus far examined different ways to display and summarise data, including class free throw accuracy and paper plane distance. Investigations into probability and chance will be carried out in coming weeks, before concluding the year with preparations for students continuing to use mathematics in their future endeavours.

In the dynamic world of Grade 10 Science, students are embarking on an exciting journey of discovery, exploring the interconnected realms of Earth, climate change, and space.

This academic year promises a deep dive into the intricate systems that sustain life on our planet, with a particular emphasis on understanding Earth's geological processes and the delicate balance of its ecosystems. As we grapple with the urgent global issue of climate change, students will engage in thought-provoking discussions, hands-on experiments, and collaborative projects aimed at fostering a sense of responsibility for our environment.

Additionally, the course will take students beyond our atmosphere, delving into the mysteries of space, where they will explore celestial bodies, stellar phenomena, and the broader cosmic landscape. The Grade 10 Science curriculum is designed to inspire curiosity, critical thinking, and a profound appreciation for the wonders of the natural world, fostering a generation of informed and environmentally conscious individuals.

Travelling Chef spends their time creating dishes to prepare and ‘sell’ to staff and fellow students. This course gives students the real life experience of preparing and presenting food to a timeframe and a professional standard.

Here are a few examples of what the last two classes have produced in the past term.

-Chilli Con Carne and Fries

-Chicken Burgers

- Butter Chicken

- Vietnamese Coconut Tarts with Fruit Salad

- Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Term 4 has been a busy one in the HPE space, with there being many extracurricular activities running alongside our regular classes.

The term started out with our annual Swimming Carnival in week 1, with participation levels being high across the two days. We were lucky enough to witness three records being broken, with George breaking the year 9 50m Butterfly record and Anika (year 7) breaking both the 50m Butterfly and 50m Freestyle records. In the house competition, Allen were our overall winners on 409 points, followed by McLeod, Grace and Miller. From this, the Inter High Swimming team was selected to compete at the NHSSA Division 1 carnival on Friday 17th November, where we had a number of fantastic swims on the day. The school was well represented by the 46 students who attended, with many students stepping outside of their comfort zones and filling in for races at short notice. We would like to thank Adam Davey for his tireless work with our swimming program and look forward to the carnival returning to term 1 in 2024.

The Thursday Afternoon Basketball roster has continued this term, with 9 teams and approximately 80 students representing Queechy each week. There have been some fantastic results and improvement made in each and every team, with this being the only opportunity that some students have to play in a competitive basketball roster. A massive shoutout goes to the coaches of each team who are giving up their own time to ensure that every student can take to the court each and every week. We are also looking forward to the annual Weekend Basketball Tournament, run by Basketball Tasmania, on the 25th & 26th November. A big thank you to Darren Crawford for the time and effort that he has put in to organising this for us.

Yesterday, Mrs Gibbons and Mr Goss accompanied an enthusiastic group of 32 students to the Schools Triathlon Challenge at the Bluff in Devonport. All students who attended had a great day, with many competing in their first Triathlon, as either a team or individually. This is the first time in a number of years that we have taken a team to the Triathlon, and to have one of the largest teams within the Secondary school’s event is a testament to the fantastic attitude of our students to get in and try new things.

Here are some results:

G7 - Kingston 8th (Individual), Kingston and Freeman 6th (teams)

G8 - Oscar, Flynn & Archie 3rd, Chaice, Archie & Lachie 5th, Harry, Jakob & Charlie 7th (all teams)

G9 - Ryder 1st (Individual)

G10 - Ollie, Kie & Ronan 10th (teams)

Within our regular HPE classes, our year 7 and 9 classes have been undertaking a unit on Community Sports, where students participate in and learn about sports that are available within the local community. As a part of this, we welcomed Ryan Shipp from the Launceston Touch Football Association into the school in week 5 to run students through the basics of touch football and to encourage those interested to sign up for a team in the current roster. In week 6 Bradley Lowe from BJJ Tasmania came in to take students through the basics of Brazilian Jujitsu, with this being the first experience of Jujitsu for many. Students involved thoroughly enjoyed both sessions and would like to thank both Ryan and Bradley for giving up their time.