Term 2 - Week 10 - June 2023

From The Principal

Another big term for our young people with a whole range of events and successes for our staff during this time. Thank you to parents and caregivers for your continued support: I look forward to working with you again in Term 3.  As I write this in the last days of the term, our year 12 students have landed on the Gold Coast for their annual trip; our annual athletics carnival has been held; students are finishing final term assessments, and staff are busily completing semester reports for dissemination in early Term 3.

School Staffing 

Like most schools in the state, our school is currently understaffed. While commencing the year fully staffed, life events throughout the first term has seen our staffing number reduced.  Some classes have been discontinued and others have been combined.  Thank you for your patience with these changes: we will attempt to keep them to a minimum in future.  Mindful that teacher shortages will be a perennial issue, the school is considering adjustments to how we will operate in 2024.

Open Night

The school Open Night will be held early in Term 3 on Wednesday 19 July from 5 – 9pm.  This is an opportunity for students and parents to come along and look at the selection and variety of subjects/programs that are conducted at the school.  This year, the Open Night will not be held in the MPC.  Displays will be held in the various areas of the school to showcase programs and subjects in their actual locations. You will be able to see these at your own pace or be guided by one of our students. There will be a specific information session for both students going into Year 7 and those transitioning to Year 11 in 2024.

School Review

We recently completed our School Review, which is held every four years and is designed to measure where we are at the moment and determine directions for the school over the next four years.  Many parents were involved in this process, along with staff, students and community members.  The initial results have been quite positive: when the final report is delivered, I will communicate this to the wider school community.

Homework Program

The Homework Program, which runs weekly in the library, is hitting the mark with students.  While Mathematics is the focus, often students use this time to work on a range of assessment and study commitments. All ages are represented and I commend the staff who attend each week, supporting our students.

Attendance

Our year 7 – 10 students with 90% or over attendance were treated with a lunchtime award in recognition of their commitment this term. The ice-cream cups were made by our Senior students and Year 11 students Danielle and Ayden gave the thumbs up for the program.

Student achievements

Congratulations to Charlotte Sharpe who recently was accepted into the Defence Forces at Amberley for work experience.  The program is highly competitive and we wish her the best in her future endeavours.

Sean How Kee and Jessie Hurst have been selected to represent the North Queensland Cadets Chief of Army Cadet Team challenge in Brisbane in the school holidays. They were selected from around 500 entries to be in a team of 10 via a rigorous set of military skill trials. We look forward to them coming back and telling us of their adventures.

Staff Achievements

Mr Blanchfield represented Far North Queensland teachers at the Teach Rural and Remote teachers Fair in Brisbane.  He was part of a small group of Far North QLD teachers who talked with teachers from across Queensland interested in a teaching career in rural areas such as Tully.

Our English Head of Department, Mrs MacDonald continues to represent Tully SHS at the English Teachers Association of Queensland. She is a regular presenter and provides expertise in a range of curriculum and assessment areas.  She recently introduced the Distinguished Professor Minton as a lecturer, author, script adaptor and dramaturg based at Montana State University.  

Our past Deputy Principal, Mr McLoughlin, was also recognised recently at the Qld Secondary Principals’ Association Conference with a coveted Achievement Award.  Of the several hundred leaders across the state he was recognised as one who has been a leader for other Deputy Principals in the Far North.

Richard Graham
Principal

School Support Officers’ Week

We recently celebrated the work done by our school support officers. They are integral to the operation of the school in many ways, enabling the learning process for our young people to occur seamlessly.  People such as our front office staff, groundsman, janitor, scientific assistants, IT staff all do an admirable job and I thank them for their commitment and dedication.

Anzac Day Commemorative Service

On Monday April 24, Tully State High School conducted its annual Anzac Commemorative Ceremony. The ceremony was led by four Year 10 History students – William, Sophie, Mia and Jarrod. The Acknowledgement to Country was delivered by Indigenous leaders Hannah and Isabella.

The army cadets commenced the ceremony with the Flag Party and executed this with precision. We welcomed guests from the RSL and ex-service men and women who laid a wreath alongside our Junior and Senior Captains. Our SLT leaders also contributed a donation for the Red Cross.

This year our ceremony focused on acts of bravery during wartime and acknowledged individuals who have been awarded medals for their exceptional service. To begin, we reflected on the Gallipoli campaign and the bravery of ANZAC’s during World War I, specifically the nine soldiers who were awarded the Victoria Cross for their actions in conflict.

Next, we remembered Henry Dalziel who was awarded Far North Queensland’s only Victoria Cross for his actions on the Western Front of WWI, and we also celebrated the service of James Alwynne Henry, father of Tracey Norman, who demonstrated outstanding bravery when facing the Japanese in the jungles of New Guinea in WWII. Finally, we commemorated the Torres Strait Light Infantry, formed 80 years ago, for their contributions in defending Australia during WWII.

On Anzac Day itself, students attended the Tully Dawn Service, marching despite the rain, and attended ceremonies elsewhere in the District. It was amazing to see our cadets, school captains and a range of students representing our school in commemorating the Australians who have given their lives for our country during wartime. Lest we forget.

Year 11 Leadership Camp 2023

From 17 to 19 May, Year 11 students took part in the annual Year 11 Leadership Camp at Echo Creek. Over these three days, students got to test their communication, teamwork and leadership skills in a variety of activities including obstacle courses, raft building, abseiling, rock climbing, hiking and laser tag. Students also had the opportunity to work one-on-one with North Queensland Cowboys representative, Ray Thompson, to build skills around improving their resilience.

All students in attendance applied themselves to the various activities amazingly well, showing a balance of maturity, determination and respect for those around them throughout the three days. This cohort is full of quality humans and continues to improve and impress. It is a genuine pleasure to work with them.

A massive thank you to all of the teachers and staff volunteers who made this experience possible: Robyn Sloan Orlandi, Josh Zahn, Ike Ambrum, Shelly Gardiner, Shayna Jarick, Jarred Rohl, Hannah Brockhurst, Danielle Furmage, Jade Carr, Chris Sachlikidis, Richard Graham and Darrin Timms.

James Brennan
Yr. 11 Coordinator

Young Leaders Breakfast

Friday Week 5, and a group of 26 Year 10s rose early from their various beds to catch the 6.15am school bus to Cairns. Not a smooth start for one, who had a complicated lift arrangement, but we kept the engine running and he hurtled on board. Fun for the next two hours - music, phones, chatter.

At Rydges Esplanade, we were directed to their large conference room, packed with tables and students from 15 other schools, all keen for some careers advice and a resort breakfast, which followed the introductions and thankyous. The speakers – three women and three men, all under thirty-five, recounted the career journeys, mostly rather non-traditional, that led to their becoming influential in their fields. Lucy Field worked 800 unpaid hours at the Cairns Airport after a gap year volunteering in East Africa, and is now the Environment Manager of the airport. James Harding became a lawyer after an unspectacular high school career, emphasising the importance of specializing, finding your niche, and pushing through and around challenges. In fact, every speaker stressed the importance of resilience, and following a path that feels right for you. Jake Anderson, a Projects Engineer with Ergon, had a range of work experiences, from prawn trawling to working on rigs in the desert till he found his ‘purpose and passion’.

An interesting notion that was repeatedly expressed was that of seeking a mentor, not necessarily in your field, someone who you could lean on for advice as you started out, and also along the course of your career journey.

The Business Liaison Association (BLA) regularly organises events such as these, and we welcome the insights and ideas that students are exposed to. Most students on this trip were inspired in some way, not least of which was experiencing the novelty of a rather formal breakfast and being addressed as young people with bright futures.

And of course, there was the pitstop at McDonalds, Gordonvale, for those who still had room.

Thierrine Bromley

The Arts Faculty

Year 8 Art 

This term, the Year 8 Art classes have studied Aboriginal X-ray Art and symbols in order to create a print of a fish.  After learning printmaking techniques, students then extended their designs and used coloured inks to resolve their work.  Students also wrote short tales incorporating the fish and Aboriginal Art symbols used in their designs.

Year 10 Art 

This term, the Year 10 Art class analysed the social commentary works of artists Banksy, Barbara Kruger and Shepard Fairey.  Students then created artworks that display a social, environmental or political issue, such as body image, gun laws in the USA, social media, youth crime, war and the over-fishing of our oceans.  Students resolved their work using mixed media and the incorporation of stencilling, using stencils created with our Art Department’s Cricut machine. 

Year 9 Art

Portraits commemorate, celebrate, and show us who we were - and who we are now.

Year 9 Art students have been experimenting with Portraiture. Moving out of their comfort zone and exploring different painting techniques has been fun for most of them. Students first experimented with proportions of the face using their own photos: from there they progressed to experimenting with distortion of the facial features and played with painting techniques.  They are now working hard towards their main composition – a reflection of a culture through a portrait.

Congratulations to Luke O'Neil for being selected to perform again at this year's Creative Generation Show in July. Luke will be playing the piano with the James Morrison Big Band at the Brisbane Convention Centre to a huge crowd. The show will be filmed by Channel 10 and aired later in the year. Well done Luke! 

Last week it was time to put the Tully Cluster Band back together!

Students from Tully SHS, Tully SS, Lower Tully, Feluga  and Mission Beach State Schools joined forces to rehearse the Cluster Band in preparation for next term’s annual event Tutti Frutti.

Approximately 105 musicians met down at Mission Beach State School, where they were put through their paces with wonderful results.

Save the date in your calendars: Tutti Frutti Gala Concert – Tuesday 15 August at the Tully State High School MPC.

Congratulations to Jess Lund for being accepted into the Cairns Middle School SHEP program! Jesse will be heading to Cairns in August to top up her musicianship and band skills.

Students from Tully SHS had great success at this year’s Innisfail Young Performers Competition.

A group of students went up and performed beautifully with their solos and duets. The adjudicator was impressed with the deportment and musicianship heard from Tully High students.

The week culminated with the Tully SHS Concert Band and Tully SHS Jazz band competing in the bands section at Innisfail State College. All of the bands from Innisfail sounded superb and it was a valuable learning experience for our students to hear them. A huge congratulations to our instrumental music students for winning first place in both the concert band and the jazz band/ contemporary band sections – well done band kids!

Karen Stewart
Music Teacher

This term in Music has been a busy one. Students have been focusing on creating their own works. In Year 7, students have been creating a rock song and Year 10 students have had the choice of creating either a rock, pop, indi or jazz piece. This task has required students to compose parts for a number of instruments. Once we finish our hand-written copies, students will have the opportunity to enter it on the computer so that they can hear what it sounds like.

Our future compositions will have further freedom of choice in how the work is presented. We are very appreciative of our P & C Committee who purchased five MAC laptop computers for us to use in the music classroom. This will allow us to learn how to record music, edit recorded music and use GarageBand to create loop-based compositions. It will also be useful for us to create backing tracks for our performances. 

Rachelle Paton
Music Teacher
Head of Department - Middle School

From the Maths Department

Six Year 7/8 students and four Year 9 students have an exciting opportunity to travel to Cairns at the end of next week to partake in a Mathematics Enrichment Day at St Mary's. This day is designed to continue to encourage a love of Mathematics for our students and allows them to network with like-minded students across the region. 

Danielle Furmage
Head of Mathematics and Manual Arts

Trigonometric Ratios

Year 9 students have been blessed with some glorious weather as they collect measurements for the maths assignment. Students are to use trigonometric ratios to calculate the height of the floodlights on the basketball court. This becomes a little more challenging as students have also been asked to calculate the length of guidewire required to support a similar structure. The challenge being in that the ground on one side slopes away, no longer creating a right angle.   

Maths Enrichment Day

Four Year 9 students and six Year7/8 students had the amazing opportunity to participate in a Maths Enrichment Day in Cairns last week. This day involves students rotating through a number of workshops/presentations that aim to mathematically challenge students’ way of thinking. Students networked with other like-minded students from around the Far North Queensland Region. All students represented our school with such maturity and enthusiasm, leading them to have an enjoyable and positive experience. From all reports, students are now more curious than ever about numbers and the amazing ways they interact with the world.

English Department

General English celebrates success.  Recently, the first assessment tasks were confirmed by the QCAA.  I am proud to announce that 41% of the year 12 cohort received an “A” on this task.  The task was to produce a TED talk on a subject that had been in the media over the past year.  Congratulations to teachers Bernadette Dash and Keira Ryan, and, of course, the students on their outstanding work. 

K Macdonald
Head of English

Year 10 Food Studies

Year 10 Food Studies have been learning about food grown in the local region as a part of their Paddock to Plate unit this term. We have looked at both environmental sustainability such as farming practices, low food miles and packaging solutions, as well as economic sustainability such as keeping money in the community. We were lucky enough to have Nicola and Nadia from Mackays Bananas come in to talk to the Year 10 class about sustainability on their farms and in their business. The students have spent the term cooking a variety of local produce to showcase the paddock-to-plate concept, and have worked on presentation, experimenting with plating techniques each week.

Year 11 Hospitality.

The Year 11 Hospitality classes have completed their Prepare and Serve Espresso Coffee, and Interact With Customers units this term. They have been busy learning about making a variety of different coffees, and practicing their customer service skills through a coffee shop and lunchtime milkshake sales: taking orders, handling complaints, working as a team and providing information to customers on the menus.

Year 10 TMT Class

Check out the talented joinery from our Year 10 TMT class. Students have now completed their table projects and have had the opportunity to experiment with routing their personal designs on the top of their tables.

A message from the Head of Junior School

A Message from the Head of Junior School

At Tully High, we teach all students to operate by our four pillars: Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Learner.

When speaking with students who are struggling to operate by these pillars, I refer to Tully High as their workplace. The teachers are the employers, asking their students – employees - to follow reasonable instructions. We know that in the real world, no one gets to keep their job if they show disrespect to their employer by using offensive language, choosing not to follow simple instructions, being unsafe in the workplace, intentionally misusing or damaging equipment, etc.

We encourage all parents and carers to use our four pillars when guiding and encouraging their children through life. Together, with us both on the same page, we can fill our wonderful little community with young people who will positively and successfully contribute to society.

Thank you for continuing to support us as we support your child in their educational learning environment.

We hope you can enjoy some quality time with your child over the next two weeks and that they come back for Term 3 refreshed and ready to learn.

Leandra Willis
Head of Junior School

Year 7 Semester 1 Wrap up

The Year 7s have just finished their first semester here at Tully High.

In Term 1, the cohort underwent their first taster of building their resilience and teamwork skills at our annual Survivor Games. The Year 7s used their problem-solving skills to the max, and walked out that day with new connections to kick off their high school career. This set the climate for continuing to build those important relationships with their peers and also their teachers

Term 2 has ended on a high note with students being rewarded for meeting their target of 90% attendance. We saw many students walk through the doors to collect their much-earned sweet treat, an initiative to recognise that coming to school consistently is a must for being a successful learner in the classroom and building good habits.

In preparation for Term 3, please be aware that electives will change, so students will be bracing themselves for a new timetable. Over the break,  be sure to replenish supplies as equipment tends to run low by this time of year. Being fully equipped with the correct tools is part of our expectations of ‘Being Responsible’ and ‘Being a Learner’ here at Tully High. It is important that students are attending their classes prepared to take on any task whether it be reading, writing or practical, so they do not miss out on their learning. This is also the time to make sure that uniforms are ready to go for a new term: taking pride in one’s appearance and wearing uniforms correctly is part of the Tully Way.

On another note, if students are going to be away from school, please ensure that, as the parent/carer, you are alerting the school by calling the office. If your child is away or will be away for assessment, please follow the AARA (Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments) process and obtain an extension form to be completed by your student and the relevant teachers. You will need to contact the Head of Junior School, Ms Willis, to complete this process.

Helping your child to be a safe, respectful, responsible learner is critical to their education.

Thank you for your support.

Keira Ryan
Yr. 7 Coordinator

Year 8 Semester 1 Wrap Up

This year is going quickly, with the Year 8 cohort reaching the end of Semester 1 already. Throughout 2023, the 8s will have exposure to new subjects and opportunities to develop them into life-long learners. Some exciting programs that students have had opportunities to take part in include Bike Restoration, Chappy Steve’s A2B and The Deadly Choices programs. In Wellbeing, students have  been looking into their attendance and setting goals to work towards. At Tully State High, students are aiming to achieve above 90% for attendance, and those who have been successful this term were surprised with the treat of a free ice-cream in Week 9.

The start of Semester 2 will see a change in electives for the Year 8s: students have the opportunity to try Agriculture, Art, Media and Digital Technology. Over the mid-year break, it is encouraged that students take this time to replenish not only their personal wellbeing, but also their school supplies, ready for a new term. This is also the time to make sure that uniforms are ready to go for a new term: taking pride in our appearance and wearing our uniform correctly is important.

On another note, if students are going to be away from school, please ensure that, as the parent/carer, you are alerting the school by calling the office. If your child is away or will be away for assessment, please follow the AARA (Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments) process by obtain an extension form to be completed by the child and affected teachers. You will need to contact the Head of Junior School, Ms Willis, to complete this process.

Looking forward into Term 3, we will be beginning our Junior School Captain process. There will be more information given throughout the term about how students can apply for this. During the holiday break, students have been encouraged to consider if school captaincy is something that interests them.

I look forward to taking the group through the captaincy process and am excited for the new subjects they will be entering into in Term 3.

Helping your child to be a safe, respectful, responsible learner is critical to their education. Thank you for your support. I hope all students have a safe and happy break.

Isabelle Bushby
Yr. 8 Coordinator.

What is Chaplaincy Week?

Chaplaincy Week is an annual event organised by our chaplaincy provider, SU Australia, to raise awareness of the value of school chaplains. It is a great opportunity for our school to celebrate, thank and raise support for our school chaplain.

Who is our school chaplain and what do they do?

Our school chaplain is Stephen Kersnovske (Chappy Steve), and he works as part of our school’s support team. Chappy Steve is a safe person for all students to connect with at school, providing a listening ear, caring presence as well as  social, emotional or spiritual support. Chaplains are trained professionals, providing pastoral care for students struggling with personal or family issues, friendship difficulties, bullying, depression and more. Below is a little bit more about our chaplain.

Why do I choose to work as a chaplain and what do I hope to achieve in my role?

• I became a chaplain because school can be a challenging place for many students for various reasons. I observed this firsthand in my previous roles as a primary school teacher and youth worker.  I enjoy helping students discover and work on their strengths and what they bring to their school community.
• I hope to help students feel connected to their school community and journey with them during the highs and as well as the challenging times in life.

What do I do at school?

• Some of the things that I do at school includes providing individual student support, running social and emotional learning programs including A2B Action Based Learning and Drumbeat.  During break times you’ll find me playing a game of handball or cards with students, and looking out for students who might need some extra support. I also enjoy getting along to support students at their sporting events outside of school time.

How can I find out more about School Chaplaincy? 

• If you have any questions about the Chaplaincy Service and the support we are able to provide to you or your children, or you’d just appreciate someone to chat to, please feel free to contact Chappy Steve on 4068 4555 (M, W, F) or via email – skers36@eq.edu.au                                          You can also find out more at suchaplaincy.org.au.

World’s Greatest Shave

Every year we encourage volunteers to commit to raising money for blood cancer by sacrificing their hair. This year teacher Shayna Jarrick and students Hannah Cotter, Liam McCormack and Brecken Zammitt, all actively solicited donations and, in front of an enthusiastic audience, had their hair cut and their heads closely shaved.  Meanwhile, other students and teachers submitted to waxing – legs, chest hair – or having their locks sprayed with colour, adding about $250 more dollars to the pot.

Altogether, Tully High contributed $2,281 to the cause – a fine effort indeed.

Thierrine Bromley

Sports Department

Cross Country

The Cross Country was held on Friday 21 April, after a welcomed break in the rain.  Congratulations to Walter Hill on winning the 2023 TSHS Cross Country Carnival.  A very exciting day for Walter Hill!   

Congratulations also to the Age Champions for 2023.  

District Cross Country  

Congratulations to the 21 students who qualified for selection in the Cassowary Coast Cross Country Team to attend Peninsula Trials.  Tully SHS had 15 students finish in the top three at districts – what a great achievement.   

Swimming Carnival.

The Swimming Carnival was a huge success in the final week of Term 1 with Tyson taking out 1^st place honours. 

Congratulations to the Age Champions and new record holders. 

Records:

13 years boys – Beau Westcott - (50m Freestyle)

District and Peninsula Sport

The success for Tully SHS students has continued this term in District and Peninsula Sport representation.  Congratulations to those who have represented in Peninsula teams this term.   

 Swimming - Sophie M.  Sophie was named captain of the team and received a bronze medal.     

Touch Football - 18 Girls: Maeve, Ellie, Brooke, Hayley & Eve 

                                    15 Girls: Elise, Layla, Kassidy, Madeleine & Molly (shadow) 

                                   18 Boys: Lachlan, Billy & Logan & Jamie (shadow) 

                                   15 Boys: Fynn & Jayden (shadow) 

                                   12 Girls: Maya Taule 

 Volleyball - Riara R.  Riara was awarded Player of the Final 

Water Polo - William Delaney (represented Northern) 

Netball – Eliza S, Mya T & Annika D (shadow) 

Baseball - Riley B, Bailey N, Cooper S & Zara F 

Rugby Union - Alex G & Reggae D 

Rugby League - Nikita B & Shiloh B 

Cross Country - Isabelle M, Beau W, Madeleine J, Kaiden R & Korey R 

Touch Football - Maya Taule

Netball – TSHS entered a Cup Team (Year 10 – 12) and a Shield Team (Year 7-9) in the annual Vicki Wilson schools’ netball competition.  Thank you to teachers, Ms Currie and Ms Kurschat who coached the teams, and to student umpires Phoenix & Georgia for officiating.  The Seniors finished 4th overall, and the Juniors finished 6th.  It is always an enjoyable carnival with many talented netball teams competing on the day.   

Girls Rugby League - Congratulations to the Year 7/8 and Year 9/10 Rugby League teams who competed at the annual NRL Karyn Murphy Cup competition.  The competition is run by the NRL with a participation focus for growing the game and providing pathways to Club Rugby League.  Congratulations to Patricia and Marcedes on being awarded Best & Fairest for each team.   

Science Department

Year 8 students who are currently studying Physics are investigating the effect of height on energy.

They are dropping masses from different heights and measuring the size of impact craters in sand.

The size of the impact crater is used to indicate the amount of energy the ball has.

Assessment Mode for 11 Chemistry Students

The Year 11 Chemistry students have been busy working on their student experiments. This form of assessment has students making adjustments to a previous experiment and then analysing their results to determine the effect of the changes made. During these lessons students work collaboratively with their peers while identifying and managing the risks associated with their experiments.

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

Well Women’s Clinics – Tully Hospital

Well Women’s Clinics

(these clinics are available to Medicare eligible clients)

Service includes Cervical Screening Tests (Pap Smears), Sexual Health Screening, Breast Awareness, also info on Contraception, Continence, Menopause, Lifestyle Issues, etc.  All services are provided by a specially trained Women’s Health Nurse.

Tully Hospital:                        Wednesday 12^th July                         Ph 4226 4812

Mission Beach CHC:              Thursday 13^th July                            Ph 4016 1447

Casual Cleaners Wanted

Uniforms Wanted!

Tully Multipurpose Centre