4 April 2025

From The Principal

Hello St George SHS Community

As we near the end of Term 1, I am excited to share some fantastic updates about our school.

Farewells and Congratulations

A huge congratulations to April McLaren, who will be leading Dirranbandi State School as Principal for the first five weeks of Term 2. We know she will do an incredible job supporting their students and staff.

At the same time, we bid a fond farewell to Julie Worboys, who is hanging up her chalk after an incredible 45 years in education. Julie has always been at the forefront of teaching, adapting to changes over the years, and she remains one of the best educators in our school—even in her 45th year. She will be dearly missed, but we wish her all the best!

Commitment to Reading

We are also reinforcing our commitment to reading by recently purchasing SORA, the Department of Education’s online library. This will provide students with a wider variety of reading options for enjoyment and will help facilitate the Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2025. Once our new library is operational, we will continue to purchase hard copy books for those who love the feel (and smell!) of a real book—myself included!

Library and L-Block Upgrades

Our library and L-Block upgrades are progressing well, and I am pleased to share a concept image of the new library. One of the most exciting additions will be a Senior kitchen, which will be exclusively for our Year-12 students only. This space will include a fridge and microwave, giving Year 12s a comfortable area to store and prepare their meals. This is located on the bottom right of the image below. The area directly next to the Seniors kitchen will be the Senior section of the library which will be tailored towards our Senior School students.

Looking to the Future

As a leadership team, we have been reflecting on the past three years to help guide our vision for the future. We are already discussing what 2026 will look like for our school and how we can continue to enhance our learning environment.

We have recently developed a School Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) to guide our school’s approach to sustainability. This plan outlines our environmental priorities and actions moving forward. You can find it on our school website under ‘Documents if you’d like to learn more. Part of this plan includes our commitment to make the school’s physical landscape more engaging. One exciting initiative is our recent grant application for a Bush Tucker Garden, which we hope to install at the front of the school, linking our MPH and Skills Centre. This initiative ties in our agricultural school of excellence program focus with indigenous perspectives and environmental perspectives. While still in the early stages, we are committed to making this happen.

Also, a big thank you to everyone for using the front gate. The new fence has helped improve access to the office, enhanced supervision of students arriving and leaving, and made lunch drop-offs smoother. Once the bus-stop is upgrade, arriving via Victoria street should be much easier. (Please note: TMR indicated that they may have to delay the project to June/July for the bus stop upgraded due to recent flooding events). We will keep you updated on any changes via Facebook.  

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to a strong and successful Term 2!

Yours in education,
Thomas J. McKenna

From Business Manager

Easter Vacation and Return to School

With Easter vacation here, our offices will be closed from 3pm Friday 4 April, with administration reopening on Tuesday 22 April at 8:15am.

School Watch

The School Watch Program is a partnership between Education Queensland, the Queensland Police Service and the State Government Protective Security Service.  It aims to reduce criminal activity in Queensland schools and encourages everyone to look out for after-hours crime in our schools.  If you see anything suspicious, please don’t attempt to intervene.

Look, Listen, Report. Call School Watch on 13 17 88.
If you see a crime in progress, call Triple Zero (000).

QParents Update

The use of QParents at St George State High School has been widely accepted with over 75% of students having a parent or caregiver registered for access. QParents will continue being used in 2025 for access to report cards, consent forms, invoice and payment details, and attendance details including notification of future absences.

A list of frequently asked questions for parents is available online at: https://oneschoolhelp.eq.edu.au/school-management/qparents/qparents-faqs#parent

If you are not yet set up to access your child’s details through QParents, please don’t hesitate to contact the Office on 46208222 or send an email to admin@stgeorgeshs.eq.edu.au once school resumes.

School Facility Upgrades

St George State High School is pleased to announce several exciting projects within the school:

• Front fence replacement – completed.
• Resource centre upgrade (Library) – expected to be completed by end of Term 2.
• FlexiSpace upgrade – expected to be completed by end of Term 2.
• Ag exclusion fencing installation – works to commence Sun 6 April.

These improvements will involve contractors working on-site during the school holidays. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we enhance our facilities for the benefit of our students.

Contractors Contact Details Wanted

St George State High School are currently planning several facilities projects and want to engage tradesmen directly to undertake these works. If you’re a tradesman, please email your business name, trade, contact numbers, and email address to be used for quote requests to bsm@stgeorgeshs.eq.edu.au. This list will be used for any upcoming projects that are relevant to your trade.

If you have any questions, please contact Ben Lawson, Business Manager on 0475 974 008.

From HOD Agriculture, Technologies & Arts

As we end term, we have had many updates in the Ag department.

Firstly, we have started up our school Dorper Stud purchasing 12 stud dorper ewes from Boonoon Dorpers. Thank you to the Southerns for their guidance and assistance in this process. We look forward to building our stud and exhibiting these animals at upcoming shows.

We have also reintroduced our layer chickens after having some updates to the construction of the chook pen. With the egg shortage, we are excited for the school egg supply to kick in. As we are Safe Foods accredited, once the eggs reach a certain size, we will be able to sell these eggs to community members.

Over the Easter school holidays the perimeter fence of the Ag plot is being upgraded to exclusion fencing. This upgrade means we will be able to better utilise our paddocks and ensure the safety and security of our livestock.

Unfortunately due to the weather, Shearing camp and AWE camp were postponed and have been rescheduled for Week 2 Term 2.

We look forward to another exciting term ahead in Term 2 with lots more progress and learning opportunities to come!

Caitlin Crowe

From HOD Student Services

As we wrap up an excellent first term, I want to take a moment to thank our students, staff, and families for their dedication and hard work. It has been a fantastic start to the year, and we are proud of the progress made so far at St George State High School.

With report cards being released, now is the perfect time to reflect on achievements and set goals for the rest of the year. We encourage parents and caregivers to review reports with their children, celebrate successes, and identify areas for growth.

If you have any concerns about student progress or need support in planning for the coming months, please don’t hesitate to contact the school. We are here to help and work together to ensure every student reaches their potential.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to another great term ahead!

Past Student Story

No past student story this week.  If you know of a past student who would be willing to write their story, please contact Nichole Taylor ntayl253@eq.edu.au

Farewell Julie Worboys (Kennedy)

Today we say “Happy Retirement” to Julie Worboys or as some knew her, Miss Kennedy.  Julie started her teaching career teaching at Charleville State High School in 1979.  Julie’s first day at St George State High School was 25/01/1982, teaching Home Economics where she continued to teach on and off since then. There will be a few past and current students who can cook themselves a hearty meal because of Mrs Worboys!  We congratulate Julie and thank her for her contribution to St George State High School and will no doubt see her around the town.  Thank you Julie!

Year 7 History visit – Kevin Waters

This term in History Year 7 have been learning about Deep Time History of Australia, with a focus on daily life for Aboriginal people.

Year 7 were lucky to have a very special guest visit this week, Kevin Waters.

Kevin shared his story about growing up on a mission, moving to Nindigully and life in St George.

Students were able to ask Kevin lots of questions about his life and deepen their understanding about what it meant to grow up on a mission, how this impacted life and how things changed over time.

We are so grateful Kevin came to share his story with is, and students were so excited to chat with Kevin and hear his story.

Thanks you to Chappy Sam for bringing your ‘Old Pop’ into see our students, it is something I am sure they will remember for a long time!

Year 9/10 Art

🎨✨ Year 9 & 10 Visual Art students have ventured into the world of surrealism! 🌙🌀They've created absurd and fantastical dreamscapes that take us on a journey into the subconscious. Check out these stunning surrealist masterpieces!

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Homework Club

GP’s In School

Dental Van

South West Oral Health are currently offering our services to the students of St George High School. All students are eligible to our services.  Parents are being contacted directly to schedule appointments.  However, for any enquiries please contact on 0437 412 841.  The dental van is at the back of the school near the tennis courts.

School Calendar Term 2

Community Notices