Term 1 - Week 10 - March 2023

From The Principal

Welcome to our first Newsletter of the year.  Our newsletters, while being sources of information, are mainly aimed at celebrating the achievements and successes of students throughout the term. 

Reporting and Assessment

Currently students are involved in assessment across all levels and Year 12 students are almost a third of the way through their academic year! Early in Term 2, you will have the opportunity to meet and speak with your child’s teachers at Parent-Teacher Interviews.  By then you will have received your student’s Interim Report which you may also wish to discuss at these interviews. Remember that if you wish to talk with teachers prior to this, you can readily contact them through email.  Teacher emails are available from the school website.

Student Leadership

Our students are leading the school in many ways, and leading from the front in a range of initiatives.  Those in leadership roles are busy organising daily activities, along with bigger events such as the Swimming Carnival and the school Social.  Our Senior students are proving to be excellent role models for our younger students; the Student Leadership Team (SLT), representing all year levels, currently has over 30 students regularly attending meetings. The SLT spoke recently with representatives from the Cassowary Coast Shire Council, offering their thoughts and ideas on developing youth-friendly spaces in the Shire.

School Sport

Due to the National School Championships being held in Darwin this year, most school selection trials have been re-scheduled to this first term, with wet weather presenting further challenges. Congratulations must go out to the many students who have represented our school with pride in sporting trials and carnivals, resulting in a large contingent of our students being selected for representation at higher levels. We wish them the best.

Social Media

Overseeing the use of social media is a co-operative process between the school and the home. The vast majority of social media issues that arise at school have been initiated out of school hours, mostly later in the evening.

The P&C sponsors School TV software, which provides great ways for parents to support discussions with their offspring on the appropriate use of social media.  Access can be gained from the front page of the school website. Cyberbullying can be reported by accessing the quicklink on the front page of the school website. 

Facilities

Currently, there are a range of programs on site.  Many of our buildings are being painted, with recognition also to our school emblem colours. The P&C have contributed to this ongoing project significantly. Four new classrooms are scheduled to be built in early Term 2 to cater for increasing numbers, and, in conjunction with the P&C, we have applied for the building of a new tuckshop.

Students in class

I managed to “sample” some of the excellent hospitality skills demonstrated by our students over the past few weeks. Not only do our hospitality students produce fine food, their interpersonal skills are to be applauded.

Leaving Staff

As we come to the end of Term 1, we will also have two of our staff leaving us.  Ms Rosch is a very patient and caring teacher who will be leaving us to have her baby in the coming weeks.  Mrs Walters, who works in our school’s front office, is one of the friendly faces many parents first see when they come to our school’s Reception. After almost 40 years of service with the Department, Mrs Walters is retiring, and we wish both her and Ms Rosch the very best.

Proud Recipients of Lions Bursaries

Jesse Peck and Hayley Fredricksson had no idea when they attended Assembly on Monday morning that, at the end, they would each be $400 richer!

The unexpected awards drew on the John Wilson Memorial Bursary (for boys) and a special Lions Bursary (for girls), to be given each year to two students who have achieved some distinction in at least one sport and perform well academically.The Lions Club make their selection from a short list of potential recipients provided by the school.

John Wilson, a former teacher and outstanding athlete, is still fondly remembered by older members of staff as ‘Willo’.

Hayley and Jesse are very grateful for this windfall at a time when all future plans come at a considerable cost.

New Teaching Staff 2023

I am Rachelle Paton, the Head of Middle School (years 9 and 10) at Tully State High School. I moved to Mission Beach in 2019 and have been on maternity leave for the last few years. I am very excited to be back working with our students to support them to be successful learners and positive members of our school and local community. 

Hello, my name is Olivia and I have recently moved into Tully to be a new teacher at TSHS. I am teaching both HPE and Maths, and have enjoyed getting to know all my classes so far this year.

Before becoming a teacher, I worked at primary schools for after-school care, as well as coaching basketball and hockey for five years. During my Bachelor of Secondary Education, I asked to do a Prac in rural Queensland and was placed in Atherton. I fell in love with the surroundings and the lifestyle in FNQ. Upon graduating, I immediately looked at FNQ schools and landed on coming to Tully. Since moving to Tully I have joined a Touch team, and I am loving adventuring around the area and finding all of the beautiful spots for a swim. I can’t wait to explore more of the waterfalls and beaches (while trying to avoid the crocs) and I am super excited to try some hikes up all of the different mountains around here.

Hi, my name is Aidan Mason. I moved up to this awesome region six months ago and can’t get enough of it. I completed my degree in Outdoor Recreation and Teaching at the University of the Sunshine Coast where I lived for almost ten years. I teach in the HPE and Industrial Technologies areas. I enjoy all things sports and outdoors and I look forward to spending more time exploring the Reef, Tablelands, and Cassowary Coast.

Hello, my name is Jack Blanchfield and I am a new Maths/Science teacher at TSHS. I have moved to Tully from Brisbane where I completed my teaching degree at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). My current classes include Maths and Science for Years 9 and 10.

In my spare time I love to play sports including AFL, Cricket, Basketball and Netball. I also play the piano and play computer games. I enjoy being outdoors and have loved exploring the rainforests in FNQ so far. I am super excited for the years to come at TSHS!

Hello, my name is Jade Carr. I’m originally from the Sunshine Coast and completed my final professional placement at Tully High in Term 3 last year. Having loved the experience and the people, I decided to move to Tully the following term as a teacher aide. This year I’m teaching Senior Physics, Junior Science and Maths. I’ve recently joined a Touch team with some other teachers and am enjoying the social side of Tully. I hope to explore more of the beautiful rainforests in the area and get a chance to go water rafting – I’ve heard good things. I’m excited to be part of this community and look forward to knowing more of you!  

Hi, my name is Jack Rowcliff and I have recently moved to Tully to teach at Tully State High School. I completed my Bachelors of Education at QUT and am excited to explore what FNQ has to offer. My final placement was at Bowen SHS and I learnt that moving away from the Brisbane was something I really wanted to do. I am enjoying teaching HPE and Science at TSHS but also having the opportunity to facilitate extra-curricular sports on the Cassowary Coast. I spend my weekends exploring all the outdoor adventures FNQ has to offer and trying to avoid the crocs!

My name is Josh Zahn and I moved from the Sunshine Coast to Tully with my partner to teach at Tully State High, having recently graduated with a Bachelor of HPE and Maths Teaching. Last year, during my fourth year of university, I was lucky enough to do two ‘rural and remote’ teaching placements, one in Weipa and one in Tully. I learnt so much and loved both experiences and was lucky enough to be offered a role teaching HPE and Aquatics here in Tully.

The majority of my spare time and weekends are spent on the water fishing, diving and exploring. I also spend a lot of time chasing waterfalls with my partner and playing sport during the week. I am really excited to become involved within the community and experience everything this great part of the world and TSHS has to offer.

Hi, my name is Mitchell Newman and I am a new English and Media Arts teacher at TSHS. During my Masters in Secondary Education at the University of the Sunshine Coast, I did a placement at Innisfail State College and fell in love with the Cassowary Coast. I was delighted to have the opportunity to teach again in this beautiful part of the country.

Before becoming a teacher, I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Film, TV and Media Production at QUT, specialling in scriptwriting, producing and Production Design. During this time, I was able to work on many short films and discovered my passion for mentoring others. My hobbies include writing, travel and filmmaking.

I look forward to supporting students in becoming proficient storytellers, and exploring more of what  Far North Queensland has to offer.

Hi,

My name is Prue Kaushaar and I have recently transferred from Innisfail State College. I have lived on the Cassowary Coast with my family for the past 20 years. My three sons went to school here at Tully High. In my free time I like bush walking, camping and reading.

Survivor Games Challenge

On Friday 10th February (Week 3) the Year 7s were involved in the fourth annual Survivor Games Challenge. It was an exciting learning and relationship-building experience for all involved.  The day began with all the Year 7s being greeted by our colourfully dressed and sparkling Student Leadership Team, consisting of our Senior and Junior School Captains, Sports Captain, House Captains, the Executive Team and Indigenous Leaders.  The students entered the tunnel of colourful balloons with excitement and music blaring.  

Each student was given one of the new TSHS reversible bucket hats kindly donated by our P&C. They rummaged through the pile in search of their name and house. The bucket hat trend meant these hats did not leave their heads. Students were split up into Houses, then groups, so they could start the rotation through four teambuilding challenges.  Everyone was encouraged to participate and cheer on their team in order to earn the most points for their House.  Points were collected throughout the day.  The Sportsmanship award went to Water Hill, Participation Champs were Kirrama, Cheer Champs were Walter Hill and the overall Winner of the Survivor Games was… WALTER HILL!

There were many highlights from the day but two stood out from the rest. First, the outstanding participation of the Year 7 cohort when coming together. But second - the ear-piercing screams of the war cries were enough to bring the roof down of the MPC.  It was amazing to watch in the space of ten minutes all students having learnt their war cry and joining in.

The icing on the cake was that the student leaders had somehow managed to keep the motivation going all the way through – even through the apprehension of taking on the numerous dance challenges. We saw the Year 7s pull out some show-stopping dance moves.  

The courage, effort and persistence put into the Survivor Games by the Year 7s of 2023 is a very good indication of how well they will travel this year.

Keira Ryan

Year 7 Coordinator

Army Museum of North Queensland

A group of thirty Year 10 History students had the opportunity to visit the Army Museum of North Queensland at the Jezzine Barracks in Townsville.

On arrival, students were entertained by the 3^rd Battalions Pipes and Drums section who performed  a range of songs which were commonly played during wartime. It was incredible to hear that thousands of Australians had joined the war as pipers to help spur on the Australian troops during times of conflict. Students were guided through the museum and visited exhibits detailing the events of World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and the Korean War. Students experienced what life was like in the trenches of World War One, saw the weapons used by soldiers at Kokoda and learnt about the tunnel rats of the Vietnam War. The museum had an incredible display of personal items from Australian troops: war medals, honour rolls for those who had survived, and original photographs of Australians at war. After our museum visit, the group walked to the Kissing Point Fort, built prior to World War I, which overlooks Magnetic Island and the Townsville coastline. In the afternoon students braved the rain and visited the Coral Sea Memorial at Cardwell to understand the importance of that World War II battle and learn about the stories of Australians who fought in the conflict.

The Arts Faculty

This term, Year 10 Art have been studying a number of contemporary portrait artists in the lead-up to developing and resolving a self-portrait using mixed media.  Each portrait creatively and symbolically communicates something about the artist’s life.

Students were influenced by artists such as Ahn Do, Del Kathryn Barton, Gustav Klimt and Chuck Close.

Year 8s have been busy making pottery vessels as part of their unit of work called Plant Culture.  Through the incorporation of design, students communicated elements of a particular culture that is part of our community. 

 Ms Willis

Art Teacher

 HoD Junior Secondary

YEAR 7 DRAMA

This term, Year 7 Drama has started with a lot of enthusiasm and creativity. We are looking at the Elements of Drama and how they are used to create Dramatic Meaning. Students have been exploring these Elements through creating scenarios about different situations. So far we have had alien attacks, siblings stealing clothes, losing the footy grand final and many more.

Student have now just started working on their assessment task where they are creating a scene which addresses conflict; there are some really interesting ideas and characters being explored. We are hoping to have some photos of costumes for the next newsletter. Mrs Smith and I are very excited to see students’ final performances.

Drama Club

Drama Club has kicked off again this year with great enthusiasm. We are hoping to keep this going. Anyone is welcome to Drama Club; it is held in AP04 during each Thursday’s First Break.

Michelle Kurshat

Drama Teacher

It has been a productive start to the year in Music. It is great to see so many of our students diving in and having a go at all of the activities. 

In Year 7, we have begun working on our Responding and Performance Tasks. For our Responding Task, we are analysing and evaluating the use of musical elements in the song, Seven Nation Army by White Stripes. We have finished our analysis of the song and are now beginning to write our essay and focusing on our evaluation. We have had a go at playing the riff from Smoke on the Water on the guitar, the opening arpeggiated chords from Clocks on the keyboard and a classic rock beat on the drums. Each student will choose one instrument to focus their rehearsals on over the coming weeks as we prepare for the presentation of our performance assessment in Week 9.

Keep up the great work, Year 7! 

In Year 10, our focus has been on music that evokes an emotion, which have given us flexibility to focus on music from a range of genres, styles and contexts. The students have been slogging away at their Responding Task for most of this term. They have been challenged with developing an understanding of a range of musical elements and how to analyse them in a piece of music. Having finished their analysis of their chosen songs, they are now starting to chip away at constructing their essays as our classroom focus moves towards preparing for their Performance Task. Each student has chosen a song that evokes an emotion in them to perform in Week 9 of this term.

I am seeing such dedicated and quality work from this bunch, and can't wait to see their final product.

Rachelle Paton

Music Teacher

Head of Department - Middle School

Media Arts in 2023

The Media Arts Department has hit the ground running this year, with many projects already underway across the various year levels. Media Arts (including Film & TV and Media Arts in Principles in the Senior School) generally utilises projects in combination with group work to complete assessment tasks.

In our Junior School, students are being introduced into the world of photo-manipulation. In recent weeks, they have been combining multiple images, cropping out backgrounds or specific elements of photos, changing colours and lightning, blurring, sharpening, and many more other photo tweaks. Photo-manipulation and graphic design skills can lead to entry in many thriving industries such as touch-up work for photography, or creating digital and print advertising.

Moving up the year levels, our Year 10 students have been analysing the media genre of Reality TV, breaking down the current common elements, while also considering what, if any, correlation there is between Reality TV and actual reality. At the time of writing, students are now filming their own original Reality TV productions to demonstrate both their understanding of the genre, and also their ability to create a film which fits the genre.

Our Senior MAP (Media Arts in Practice) students have delved into the world of advertising, specifically for local community events. They are currently in the process of creating multiple pieces of advertising and promotional products including business cards and posters or flyers. Incidentally, the skills that these students are using to design their advertising, are the same very skills our Junior students are currently learning (see above)!

Finally, our Senior FTM (Film, Television and new Media) have started the year analysing Interactive Media in a case study. This is one of the rare moments when Media students are required to write in great length; however, it is an opportunity for them to demonstrate their understanding for key concepts.

Overall, it’s been a productive start to the year, and we’re looking forward to the final product of the projects our students are currently working on this term.

Ike Ambrum

Digital Technology | Media Arts

Inquiry Day

Year 6 students and staff from Tully State School joined with Year 7 staff and students of Tully State High School for an amazing morning of problem-solving and learning how to work effectively in a group.

Students were tasked with the question If all of the people in Australia stood in a straight line, how far would it extend? Assumptions were made about how arm spans differ with age and how these people would be standing. Groups then reflected on their calculated values and tried to conceptualise their value in terms of distances across and around Australia.

This was a very different approach to mathematical problem-solving for all students, but they did a fabulous job.

Danielle Furmage

Head of Mathematics and Manual Arts

Certificate II in Engineering

Tully State High School provides a diverse curriculum to suit student needs. Senior students value curriculum options to support vocational pathways.  TAFE Qld supports the TAFE & Secondary Schools’ program by delivering a Cert II in Engineering at Tully SHS.  Students have a variation to their timetable every Monday to undertake the qualification.  This year another group of students have taken the opportunity to complete this qualification.

SLT News

This year our team is bursting at the seams with an influx of enthusiastic Juniors. Mentored by the Senior captains, these students are already showing clear signs of their leadership potential and boosting our talent pool. Meetings are always intense, animated and agendas are packed; time is always ticking down. Often there are guest speakers, teachers or members of the executive team who solicit our help or opinions. It is from the SLT ranks that student youth advocates are chosen, so being on the team does broaden their experience and skills in many ways.

As in previous years, our first initiative of the year was selling roses and brownies on Valentine’s Day. Ms Tenni collected the roses from Yungaburra on the Sunday before, to ensure their freshness; Ms Sloan-Orlandi’s Hospitality’s class baked the delectable brownies. Members of the SLT team delivered these tokens of affection during the first lesson of the day. Happy recipients, happy team – we use these monies for our year’s expenses.

Last week we boosted student well-being again with a free BBQ, manned – and that is the right word – by some able-bodied Year 12 boys, and seamlessly distributed by an assembly line of Year 12 girls. Four hundred plus sausages found their mark.

And to celebrate International Women’s Day this week, we organised a Girl’s Bazaar, transforming the eLearning space into a mini market place where girls could buy, at very little cost, some great outfits, from tops and short skirts to shoes and more formal wear, have their hair braided, nails painted, and hands massaged. This was a much-appreciated enterprise, with girls still buying today, Friday. Morning teas, where the Year 7 and 8 girls can chat with some of the Senior girls, are also being held.

Coming up in Week 10 is the first Social for the year. This is a great chance for students to enjoy themselves in a safe environment with their favourite music and their friends. The night is always joyful – even supervising teachers agree! – and a wonderful way to celebrate the end of term.

SLT: Upgrades for Girls’ Facilities

The SLT has also been active in areas specific to the wellbeing of female students.

We had been notified earlier this year of our success in the second round of applications for a Share the Dignity dispenser, and it was installed a couple of weeks ago. Girls now have access to free sanitary packs, in the event of being caught short.

They can be confident that this eventuality will not cause them any embarrassment, or absence from school. It should be noted, however, that girls have always been able to source period packs from designated teachers in the school, as well as from the office staff, and this will continue. Share the Dignity is a charity largely run by volunteers, active in many areas where period poverty is an issue, so we are lucky to have been considered eligible.

Our student numbers have grown considerably. This has placed pressure on access to the Senior girls’ toilets primarily for its well- placed mirrors (an initiative of the 2019 SLT). We have now installed three large mirrors in the central Junior toilets (UCA).

For the most part, the girls of TSHS are very appreciative of these innovations.

Year 7 Food Studies

From the Sports Faculty

MPC Lunch Sports

The Sport and House Captains have had great participation at the Monday MPC House Sport Lunch Games.  Participants have played Netball, Four Square Dodgeball, Volleyball and Golden Child.  Junior days are being trailled on even numbered weeks to get more Year 7, 8 and 9 students involved.  Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the fun. 

House Sports - Monday’s MPC First Break

Congratulations

It has been a busy kick-off for the 2023 District Representative School Sport year.  Congratulations to the students selected in the 10-12 Touch Football and Cricket teams, and the 13-18 Basketball, Netball, Volleyball and Rugby League teams. 

A special congratulations to Riara Roumanu, selected in the 15 Girls Peninsula Volleyball team. 

Cassowary Coast Representatives

Netball - Shekinah Goddard, Danielle Kerr, Elise Kleinhans, Eliza Smith, and Mia Uitenweerde

Volleyball – 19s: John Tinirau.  15s: Riara Roumanu & Dan Zonta

Basketball – 18s: Zac Hall & Lacey Condon.  15s: Dean Giardina, Nate Todd, Kalen Brownrigg & Dan Zonta & shadows Tait Cali & Shannon Scorse selected in the 15s team. 

Rugby League – 15 Boys: Samuel Sipi, Kaedyn Ketchell, Reggae Dorego, Alex Greenwood & Jackson Solien.  18 Boys: Jaiden Mothe, Logan Deloryn, Xzavier Carlaw, Jamie Muriata, Daniel Jack, Riley Congoo.  15 Girls: Shiloh Babsek, Nikita Burton, Layla Ivey, Elsie-Amaya McDowall, Iedithsha Mothe, Nevaeh Mothe-Day & Sam Patch.  18 Girls: Shyanne Davies, Shiolah Gutchen, Sammy Fredriksson, Shantaishe Congoo & Alyssa Patch.

Touch Football – 10-12s Girls: Mya Tauli, Annika Duiker, Sienna Wilcox & Tahlia Harris.  Boys: Archie Walker, Benjamin Langdon & Declan Slattery

Good Luck

Good luck to those attending selection trials for 13-15 AFL, 10-12 Basketball, 13-15 & 16-18s Touch Football and 13-19 Girls Football over the next few weeks.  

Swimming Carnival

The annual Swimming Carnival will be held on Friday 31 March, Week 10.  Parent consent must be provided for the students to participate; consent notes will be sent home in the coming weeks.  It is classed as a normal school day.  Students will be transported between the school and the Tully Pool by bus during the usual school hours.   Tyson took our the winning honours in 2022; let’s see if they can continue their dominance in 2023.  Good luck to all houses. 

SCIENCE: Mr Timms’s Year 8 science are calculating the energy of food using calorimetry – a process of burning the food and measuring its energy.

SLT Have Their Say

This week’s meeting was entirely taken over by inputting the team’s suggestions regarding the proposed re-vamp of the Banyan Park. As you can see from the photos, students didn’t hold back!

Zoe Holmes and her colleague Ellen, from the Cassowary Coast Regional Council, sought commentary on the current access and facilities of the park, and encouraged the team to envision how Banyan Park could better serve the community. Lively discussions and some surprising revelations about park-related experiences generated many ideas. These were expressed on post-it notes and stuck on the large photo boards that the two women had brought in. By the end of the session, both boards were totally covered with yellow squares.

Interestingly, Zoe is an ex-student of Tully High, having graduated in 2011. Since then, she has worked in a variety of fields, including fashion design with a leading Sydney designer. Zoe’s innate creativity and dynamic personality surely make her an asset to the Council in her current role.

TSHS Uniform Dress Standard

TSHS Uniform Shop

The Uniform shop is open 8 - 9 every Wednesday morning during the school term. P & C are doing our best at keeping prices as low as possible in order to have affordable uniforms to all students. Unfortunately, the uniform suppliers for the Formal Uniform have increased prices quite a bit this year therefore we have had to raise the prices on these and the school jackets. We would like to remind parents that Formal Uniforms can be hired from the school if your child is requiring one for school representation or speech night.

P & C Meetings

Casual Cleaners Wanted

Uniforms Wanted!

Tully Multipurpose Centre