12 May 2023

Newsletter Articles

From The Principal

Dear Community

We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all of you who actively participated in the recent school review process. Your valuable input and feedback have played a crucial role in shaping the future of our school, and we are truly grateful for your involvement.

The school review provided us with an opportunity to reflect on our strengths and identify areas where we can make improvements. Your perspectives and insights have given us valuable guidance on how we can better support our students and enhance their educational experience. Your willingness to share your thoughts and experiences demonstrates your commitment to the success of our school community.

We understand that participating in the review process required time, effort, and thoughtful consideration. Your dedication to the betterment of our school is a testament to the developing partnership we are building between parents, guardians, and the school staff. Together, we can continue to create an environment that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and a sense of pride for all our students.

We now wait until the report is finalised and feedback to us. Once received, we will carefully analyse the feedback and use it as a foundation for implementing positive changes. We will prioritise addressing the areas of improvement identified through the review process and work collaboratively to enhance the overall educational experience for our students.

Once again, we express our sincere gratitude to each and every one of you for your active participation and valuable contributions to the school review. It is through your support and engagement that we can continually strive for excellence and provide the best education possible for our students.

We look forward to your continued involvement in shaping the future of our school and creating a nurturing environment which every student is proud of and can thrive.

Thank you for being an integral part of our school community.

Thomas J. McKenna
Principal

From Deputy Principal

Assessment

Students particularly those in the senior years are now approaching the assessment cycle of the term with exams and assignment deadlines coming up. Developing a plan for study and completion of assignments is important to ensuring success. I would like to encourage all students to do their best and to approach the relevant staff for support as needed. I also urge this group of students to take the opportunity to submit complete drafts for assignments, use the provided feedback to their benefit and take the time to submit quality final responses. Students can also participate in Homework Club from 3:05pm until 4:00pm on Monday and Thursday afternoons. This provides students with a quiet supported space to complete homework and assessments

Parent Teacher Interviews

On Wednesday 31st May 2023, we have our Parent/ Teacher Evening. This is a very important event for us at St George State High School as we put significant value on the partnerships between parents, staff and students, and its importance in ensuring success for our students. We wish to strongly encourage you to please make use of this opportunity to come and discuss the progress of your students with our staff. Bookings for Parent/Teacher interviews will open on SOBS next week. You are encouraged to use the SOBS program to book your appointments with staff. If you are experiencing challenges around the SOBS process, then please feel free to contact the office and we will support you in making the bookings you require. If you cannot attend at this time, please consider making contact with staff to discuss the progress of your student.

From HOD Junior Secondary

It’s been another fantastic week in the junior school. Students are well underway with new learning concepts and enjoying school life.

With assessment on the horizon, it is important students are attending every day and making efforts to catch up, or seek support when absent.

Students are also encouraged to attend homework club on Monday and Thursday afternoon to access additional support.

All students are provided with homework every week, and are encouraged to complete these tasks to further support their learning.

Year 9 students had the pleasure of attending the Careers Expo this week. It was great to see them engaging with stall holders about future careers and pathways.

It was a great day, and students enjoyed this wonderful opportunity.

Laura Sherriff

From HOD Agriculture

The Show team students showed off their skills at the St George Show, competing in cattle parading and junior judging competitions. This was the first show for many of our new show team members, so it was excellent to see them having a go and building their confidence. For existing show team members, it was a chance for them to demonstrate their leadership, and further improve on their handling and judging ability. It was excellent to see the students working as a team and supporting each other. Congratulations to the following students who received major awards for the day:

Junior Parader: Sam Small
Reserve Junior Parader: Bryn Cross
Senior Parader: Samuel Rollins
Reserve Senior Parader: Corey Rollins
Champion Parader: Samuel Rollins
Reserve Champion Parader: Corey Rollins
Champion Junior Judge: Danii-elle Mellifont
Reserve Junior Judge: Corey Rollins

Thank you to all parents and community members that came and supported the show team and bought a raffle ticket. The raffle raised over $1000 to support the show team travelling to Farm Fest later this term in June.

Caitlin Crowe

From Senior YLC

Hello families and carers,

This week an expression of interest form has been handed out to year 11 and 12 students for Tertiary Tour. This is an exciting opportunity for our senior students to experience Brisbane city and a taste of university life. The final itinerary is still being finalised however it is very likely that we will be visiting QUT at Gardens Point and USQ in Toowoomba, as well as participating in the Tertiary Tour Expo. TSXPO hosts exhibitors including Australian and international universities, private education providers, TAFE institutes, graduate employment, Defence Force recruiting, student support services and employers. This event provides the opportunity to find everything related to education and employment under one roof.

Although the main focus of the tour is to experience tertiary options, there is also the opportunity for students to participate in various other activities that are only possible in larger cities, such as going to cultural events and the cinemas.

If your child in year 11 or 12 is interested in participating, please remind them to return the expression of interest form. Although this will not lock them in for the excursion if they change their mind, the financial costs will be calculated based on the number of expressions of interest forms we have. This means if they are interested then please return the form! Unfortunately, due to a change of plans, Miss Embrey and I will not be attending the tour, however our Guidance Officer Annette McLean and Senior School Deputy Ben Muller will be travelling with the students. If you have any further questions about this experience, please contact any of the teachers mentioned above or myself for more information!

Vanessa Beavan

From Junior YLC

It was an exciting we this week at St George, with a number of new initiatives across the school:

Basketball 3 on 3 challenge and half-court shot:

This week, our lunch time activity was a 3 on 3 basketball challenge. Teachers and students all got involved in the action, with a small, but very competitive tournament that got underway on Friday at lunch time. In the knockout competition – Elijah, Byron, Forrest and Ollie took it right up to the teaching team of Mr. Muller, Mr. McKenna and Mr. Phelan in the final – but fell agonisingly short, to go down by 1 point in the final.

Congratulations to all teams who participated, and we look forward the next challenge this week – Ultimate paper, scissors, rock!

PBL Focus – Respect

This week, Mr. Phelan and myself have led a new initiative, with the support of other staff members and students – teaching the fortnightly PBL focus through a narrative video. Please be on the lookout on the St George Facebook Page to see how we are now reinforcing PBL at St George.

Jeremy Synot

School Subject News

Hospitality –

It has been a little while since my last Hospitality update. Can you believe our class has grown to 25 students!

This term we are continuing our work on Food Trends as we prepare for our very own food stalls serving all things burgers, wraps, sandwiches, focaccias and the like. Students have been sampling various types of sandwiches including a Roasted Vegetable Focaccia and a Mediterranean Chicken Wrap. Would it surprise you to learn the focaccia went down like a lead balloon as it didn't feature any meat and featured way too many vegetables! They are hard to please!

This week students mastered the very practical skill of crumbing chicken. They used a meat mallet to flatten their chicken breast to ensure even cooking before using the classic crumbing technique of flour, egg wash and panko crumbs for something a little bit fancy. Cooking our crumbed chicken also proved to be a valuable life lesson as students learned not to burn the outside while waiting for the inside to cook. Definitely tricky for our group of boys who generally cook everything on the highest heat possible. A few raw chicken breasts had to have another turn in the frypan!

Jodi Hyland

New and Returning Staff

Welcome back to teacher aide Kaila Neven

and Business Manager Ben Lawson.

Also welcome to Tony Dalton who will be working as a teacher aide.

Guidance Officer

What a wonderful morning students had at the Career EXPO on Wednesday.

Thank you to all involved – Partnerships in the planning committee- CUC, Balonne Shire Council, Care Balonne, Workforce Australia and St George State High School. Student had access to information regarding career pathways, School Based Traineeship / Apprenticeships, University pathways and local industry and community services.

Thank you to St Patricks for a wonderful venue.

Next week is National Careers Week.

This is a time for young people who are considering future pathways to start having conversations with both families and school staff. Please see attached information on how to start those conversations from the Department of education and a fact sheet from the Career Industry Council of Australia on the importance of Parents and Caregivers to be involved in these decisions.

With Senior Education and Training (SET) planning process for Year 10s coming up - watch this space for further information! You may wish to access the myfuture website to assist with conversations at home.

See further attached information in the PDF regarding the features of this website.

For further information please contact Mr Muller, Miss Embrey, Mrs Mulholland or Mrs McLean.

Past Student Spotlight
Elly Bradfield 2008

I am the Senior Producer at ABC Rural, Queensland and love sharing stories big and small. I am always proud to say I had the best education at St George SHS, which set me up for career success. I was Vice Captain and graduated in 2008, before completing a Bachelor of Journalism from Queensland University of Technology in 2011.

I have been a journalist at the ABC for 12 years in Rockhampton, Mount Isa, Brisbane and Toowoomba, where I am currently based. I started in Local Radio, working as a producer and presenter, before moving into the newsroom as a video journalist in 2015, filing TV, radio and online stories. I have worked for ABC’s Radio National, Landline, the specialist reporting team and in the Washington DC bureau. I was the 2016 Young Walkley Journalist of the Year, 2020 Caroline Jones Women in Media Young Journalist Scholarship recipient, 2017 CNN journalism fellow and have won Queensland Clarion and Rural Press Club Awards.

Some of my favourite stories have been based in St George and I love getting to interview people I knew growing up. I live outside Gatton with my husband and two small children and I’m currently studying psychology.

Elly Bradfield

Please email admin@stgeorgeshs.eq.edu.au with past student’s stories and images – attention Nichole Taylor. If you would like to be added to the newsletter list (comes out fortnightly) please email to request this as well.

School Calendar

Getting To Know…….......Mr Ben Muller

Sport

Balonne Cross Country – Amber Osborne competed recently at the Balonne Cross Country in Hebel. Well done Amber!

Balonne Soccer – 10-12 Years Balonne soccer trials took place last Wednesday with Izaiah Weatherall, Tyreak Bearman, Amber Osborne and Emma Anderson trialling. Congratulations to all these students who were all picked and now will travel to Chinchilla to the SW trials.

Sports Calendar

Mother’s Day

This Sunday we wish all Mothers/Carers a very Happy Mother’s Day! On this day we honour the cooks, nurses, chauffeurs, counsellors, teachers, cleaning maids and referees. In other words………..Mums!

A few students were asked what is their mother’s favourite sayings: -

1. Jack, Jason, Jimmy … whatever your name is….
2. I don’t care who started it.
3. Wait until your father gets home.
4. Some day your face will freeze like that.
5. No one said life was fair.
6. If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?
7. I’m going to give you until the count of three!
8. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
9. I don’t know is not an answer.
10. Why? Because I said so, that’s why!

P&C News

Firstly, a huge thank-you to all who attended the Meet & Greet afternoon on Friday 5 May. It was a lovely opportunity for parents and community members to meet the High School staff.

Secondly, with the cool change and the winter months fast approaching, don’t forget that the tuckshop is open every Tuesday & Thursday for all your uniform needs. EFTPOS is available. Also, uniform items that you no longer want can be donated to the school 2nd hand collection. These items can be left at the office.

Our next meeting is scheduled for this coming Monday, 15 May, from 6pm in the School Library. Everyone is invited and new memberships are always welcome.

Hope to see you there

Bec Halliday
Secretary

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