Term 1 - Week 7 - March 2024

From The Principal

 Dear Parent and Carers, 

Welcome to Term 1, Week 7 Newsletter. Happy International Women’s Day 2024! 

Congratulations to the following Tully SHS students for outstanding achievement: 

• Ellah King, Year 9, who has been selected for a Harding Miller Education Foundation scholarship
• Maddison Apap, Year 10, for being selected to participate in the STEM Girl Power Program 

Emergency Procedures 

With so much wet weather, I encourage all parents and carers to ensure your contact details (mobile phone numbers) are up to date and registered with the school If a decision to close the school for a day is required, this information will be communicated to parents via SMS, Facebook and email.  Please ensure you are able to access one of these communication channels. 

Lockdown and Emergency Evacuation Procedures 

All schools are required to have defined lockdown and emergency evacuation procedures. In the event of a lockdown, Tully SHS will attempt to contact all parents/carers to advise them of the situation and not to enter the site. Upon completion of the lockdown, we will SMS all registered parents/carers that we have resumed normal operation of the school. 

The purpose of the text message is to ensure parents and carers are informed of this critical event in our school community.    

In the event of an emergency evacuation, Tully SHS will contact all parents/carers after the emergency evacuation to advise that we have resumed normal operation of the school.  

To ensure our systems are working, when we complete a drill of the above mandated procedures once a term, Tully SHS will SMS to advise that we have completed a drill.  

Should you wish to discuss these procedures in greater detail, please contact the school. 

P&C AGM

The Annual General Meeting for the Parent and Citizens Association will be held on Thursday 21 March at 3.30pm in the Millside Café. We need your support and would love as many parents as possible to attend to become active members of this very important decision-making committee for our wonderful school. I encourage and welcome all new parents to attend this meeting! 

Assessment Focus 

As the end of term approaches, it is critical that students remain engaged and focussed on their learning, and the completion and submission of their assessment.  This is the core purpose of schooling and at Tully SHS we expect every student will complete and submit all of their assessments to the very best of their ability!  Please contact your child/s teachers if you believe they require additional support or help to pass their subjects!  We need to ensure that our students are assessment-ready and have the learning stamina to successfully end the term! 

Have an awesome fortnight!

Yours in learning,  

Ms Helen Carne 

Principal 

SPARQ-Ed

Shila Carter and Kaya Coombs have been selected to attend SPARQ-Ed – an immersive biomedical research program run by the University of Queensland in Brisbane. Both girls will attend the program in April 2024 in Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

SPARQ-Ed exposes students to the field of biomedical research and is heavily supported by the Lions Medical Research Foundation. The Lions Foundation provides subsidies for travel and accommodation, allowing opportunities for regional students such as ours to attend these events.

Tully SHS has a long history of students attending science immersion programs. Every year, we have students attending programs such SPARQ-Ed, Inspire You and NYSF; we have even had a student win a scholarship to an MIT immersion program in the USA.

Well done girls. We look forward to hearing your inspiring stories when you return.

Tully 100 Launch

Thank you to our student leaders for representing our wonderful school at the Tully 100 Launch.  Our student leaders were smiling with joy for being invited to participate in this lifetime opportunity!

TSHS Sports News

Congratulations and good luck! 

• A huge thank you to the student referees and umpires who have officiated at 10-12 Gala Days for Netball & Rugby League.       
• Congratulations to students selected in Cassowary Coast District and Peninsula Teams.  

Peninsula Rugby League:   

14-15 Boys: Alex G, Fynn H, Kaedyn K & Blake S 

14-15 Girls: Shiloh B 

16-18 Girls: Alyssa P & Shiolah G      

CC Volleyball: 

15 Boys: Lynnor T 

15 Girls: Amarri C & Edner R 

18 Girls: Rhiennon R & Riara R 

18 Boys: John T, Ricky P & Ziggy R 

CC Rugby Union: 

18 boys: Peter S & Reggae D 

10 - 12 Sport: 

• Congratulations to students selected in the 10-12 Southern Zone Rugby League and Netball teams.  Netball (Girls): Indy G, Mackenzie L, Kendra L, Allie S, Natalie S & Aimee Z Rugby League: Jesse C, Kelly C, Chase F, Logan J, Declan K, Rhylee M, Noah M, Health M, Shaun R 
  Netball (Boys): Chase F, Logan J, Graysen S 

  Congratulations to students selected in the 10-12 Cassowary Coast Netball teams:

  Girls – Natalie S, Aimee Z & Indiana G

  Boys – Graysen S, Logan J & Jesse C

 Good luck to students attending Peninsula AFL, Rugby Union (17 & 18), 11/12 Rugby League (Boys) & Volleyball trials over the next two weeks. 

Sports Messages 

• The annual Swimming Carnival will be held on Thursday March 28, Week 10.  Parent consent must be provided for students to participate.  A link to the online note can be found below. Paper copies are available from the school office & the HPE staffroom if required.    

Swimming Permission Note  

• CC 13-18 District Touch Trials have been postponed – a new date is yet to be determined.   
• Peninsula paperwork is available to complete electronically.  Please go to the Peninsula School Sport Website – Forms & Documents to access.  You can either print it at home and drop it to the HPE staffroom, or email to bpark270@eq.edu.au. 
• Golf - from April through to November on dedicated Sundays, Tully Golf Club will be hosting beginner golf lessons to be given by a PGA professional.  This is an exciting and rare opportunity for students up to 18.  The lessons are free of charge to participants and all equipment and balls will be provided.  Students need to see Mr Paton for more information on how to register. 
• Basketball – the FNQ Basketball League is looking for players in the 12-14 year age group. Mission Beach Dunk’In Airs is the new division being set up.  Tryouts are scheduled for March 12 at Mission Beach State School from 4.30 -5.30 pm. The tournament kicks off in Term 2.  Dunk’In Airs will be playing Innisfail Salties, Tully Monsoons, and Cardwell Gliders. Local practices will be weekly, with Friday night games alternating among the towns.  Complete the form at https://form.jotform.com/240530784929868 to register, or for further information call Aimee on 0401847521. 
  

Maths Department News

Maths – it’s all fun and games until someone divides by zero!

We’ve had a great start to the year with students diving straight into developing their maths skills in a multitude of areas.  Year 7 and 8 students have already completed their first assessment item and are now preparing for their second exam.  Year 9 and 10 students are still learning content but will be soon be preparing for the exams coming up in Weeks 9 and 10.  All year 11 students are working on their first assignment for the year, as are our 12 Essential Maths students.  For 12 General Maths and 12 Math Methods, revision has begun in preparation for the big exams in Week 8 and Week 9.

Gaining confidence in Maths is so important, and the best way to do that is to practice! Every Thursday afternoon from 3 to 4pm, Maths teachers are in the Library ready and eager to assist students with their homework, revision and assignments.  We have had on average 30 students attend Maths Homework Club each week, which is fantastic! More than 30 students have returned their Registration Forms.  If your child would like to attend Maths Homework Club, registration forms are available from all Maths teachers. Please remind your child to return the form to their Maths teacher or to Mrs McKnight.

ITD

Materials and Technologies Specialisations students in Years 9 and 10 have also had a great start to the year. The students are all engrossed in their projects and enjoying the subject.  Year 9s are currently working on their first project for the year, Timber Trays.  One class of year 10s have been designing timber racks for multiple items including fishing rods, hats, shoes and books. These are close to being assembled. The other Year 10 class have been busy making toolboxes from sheet metal.

Our Senior Industrial Skills students have completed their practical demonstration and are now busy creating a bedside cabinet and a deck chair.  Engineering Skills students are preparing for the exam  in Week 8 and planning their BBQ designs. 

Student Leadership Team News

Valentine’s Day

Somehow the report of our fantastic Valentine’s Day event missed its slot in the last newsletter, so let me make amends.

International Women’s Day

Every year we celebrate this day in a different way, both on campus and off. This time we hosted a Breakfast for all the SLT girls and certain other female students, being mindful of the theme, Inspire Inclusion.

Among our guests were Leah Mangano and Zoe Holmes, both of whom are past students and very successful in their post-school endeavours. Helen Carne, our new Principal, gave an inspiring keynote address about the need to be strong and independent; to ensure that, as a woman, one must call out injustices and inequities. Such strength should be underpinned by respect, kindness and a readiness to help others.

The breakfast itself was delicious, a range of freshly baked treats, both sweet and savoury, produced and served by Mrs Kurschat’s Year 11 Hospitality class. The baristas among them kept first-class coffees coming, unfazed by individual variations on the caffeine theme.

The vibe was intimate, collegiate and good-humoured. Allocated to one of six tables, the girls and guests quickly bonded. The IWD quiz established context and scored some of them a mini (purple) snack bar: passing-the-parcels, that old party game, highlighted the special qualities that recipients were noted for.

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday 6 March, a group of lively Year 7 girls shared a Morning Tea with the SLT Senior girls, who were very impressed by their confidence and curiosity. Animated and increasingly probing, the younger girls showed a fascination with how the Seniors managed their school lives. How girls change during adolescence, how quickly chocolate biscuits can disappear!

Women on Staff will have their own IWD celebration this afternoon – more on that in the next Newsletter

Thierrine Bromley

HLT23221 Certificate II in Health Support Services

My name is Katie, the VET in Schools Partnership Consultant at Connect 'n' Grow.

I'm reaching out to share some information about how your students can benefit from our school holiday program in health support services.

As you may know, we offer comprehensive programs that provide students with practical experience and valuable skills that can be applied to their future careers.

Our HLT23221 Certificate II in Health Support Services Holiday Program is specifically designed for your year 10 to year 12 students who:

• Are on an ATAR pathway and want to gain this qualification to support future careers in a Healthcare profession.
• Want to gain qualifications in health support services without having to drop a subject at school.
• Don’t have access to this Health Career program as part of their school curriculum.

We believe this program offers unique opportunities for students to gain practical experience and valuable skills in healthcare, and we would be delighted to work with your school to provide these opportunities to your students.

We're committed to supporting the academic and personal growth of your students.

Additionally, our program promotes diversity and inclusion to create a welcoming and supportive environment for your students.

That said, here's how this program works:

1. It is a combination of both online learning and onsite health training workshops.
2. School Holiday Workshop one-week compulsory training from 8th to 12th of April.
3. Term 2 1o weeks of online self-directed learning
4. School Holiday Workshop one-week compulsory training from 24th to 28th of June, includes CPR and First Aid Training.

• Students will be required to have a reliable laptop and access to WIFI to work independently through online course materials over the 10 weeks.
• The onsite health career workshops are two one-week block training learning experiences that are held over the second week of April school holidays and the First week of the June school holidays.
• The locations for this workshop include Gold Coast, Windsor, Mooloolaba, Rockhampton, Townsville, and Cairns.
• Students are required to attend this training workshop to successfully complete the program.

We believe this School holiday program is a good opportunity to prepare and position your students for a rewarding and fulfilling career in the healthcare industry.

If you're interested in learning more, please reply to this email with any questions you have or feel free to choose a time in my calendar for a call.

Library News

Reading is a great pastime – especially during wet weather.  Students are encouraged to borrow both fiction and non-fiction books from the library for their own home reading. 

However, there are still 31 novels valued at $517.00 that have not been returned from last year.   The relevant students have received three emails - First, Second and Final Notices - of their overdue books to their school account, and a letter has been sent out to parents. Invoices will now be sent out to recover costs and purchase replacement books.  Please check your home for any Tully High library books.  Students are encouraged to discuss any problems with Mrs Hutchinson or Mrs Daniels in the library.  

Students can access the library before school, at both breaks and briefly after school.  From Weeks 7 – 10, the first recess will be for reading, studying, and assignment work only.  Games (chess, dominoes, Uno, and Connect 4) will be available before school and at second lunch.   Happy reading.

NGRT Reading Results

The initial data is in from the Year 7 assessment of reading ages. Individual results, letters and advice for continuing to improve reading will be disseminated in the next few weeks.

In summary, 63% of students (66% girls, 61% boys) are reading at or above their chronological age. At the upper end, 35 % of girls and 27% of boys have a reading age of above 14 years. A number of students have a reading age that is 4 years or more below their age:18% boys, and 7% girls. Some work is being done in core classes to address this situation. When they can, teachers differentiate reading material to accommodate different levels, so that students can more easily access the curriculum.

It is critical that parents continue to support their children’s reading at home. Further specific advice will be included in the individual Year 7 letters. 

Kathleen Macdonald M Ed

Breakfast at the Pullman

Breakfast at the Pullman is not our usual way to start a Friday in a school week, but that is exactly how March 1 panned out for a group of Senior girls from different Year Levels. They had leapt at the opportunity to attend the JCU Careers in Health Breakfast staged at the Pullman Cairns International Hotel, and were well rewarded.

Organised by the ever-active Business Liaison Association, the Breakfast was attended by more than 360 students, who were addressed by a panel of five young practitioners, all of whom had attended James Cook University, and spoke in praise of that alma mater, their varied journeys to obtaining their degrees, and the joys, rewards and insights of their respective practices. Michael the Nurse, Sophie the Speech Therapist, Carlos the Physio, Renae the General Practitioner and James, a pharmacist, did have much in common. Despite their different pathways, each advised the benefits of having goals, even if they changed along the way; of engaging in work experience linked to those goals; seeking mentorship; and matching career choices with one’s values. Importantly, being in the Health sector, each speaker expressed a strong desire to help people, and be of service.

After the event, most of our girls took the opportunity to seek out their target speaker in the lobby for answers to their own burning questions. Altogether, it was a rewarding experience, and made tangible what may have been rather vague career ideas.

Then it was back to school on the bus, in the safe hands of driver Dan Kurschat and teachers Amy Sachlikidis and Thierrine Bromley, in time for Period 4.

Thierrine Bromley

Vaping and Young People

 Information for Parents and Carers

The Lung Foundation Australia has a fact sheet to help parents and carers understand vaping and e-cigarettes and the risks to young people. Just click on the link below:

https://lungfoundation.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Factsheet-Vaping-and-Young-People_For-Parents-Jul2021.pdf

Quitline has counsellors who can talk with you about your concerns, provide advice on what you can do as a parent or carer, and guide you on how you can start a conversation with your teen. There are many ways you can contact Quitline:

• Call 13 7848 Mon - Fri 8am to 8pm
• Text 'call back' to 0482 090 634
• Webchat at quit.org.au
• Message us on Facebook Messenger @quitvic or WhatsApp: +61 385 832 920
• Request a call back using the online form at quit.org.au

If you require any information or support for a young person to quit vaping or smoking please contact your school nurse, Sue Skinner,  available at Tully High School on Mondays and Wednesdays:              Phone 4068 4555.

Young Performers

Winter School

Meningococcal B

Dear Parents,

A Current Affair (Channel 10) broadcast a segment on Meningococcal B on February 3.

The vaccine against this disease has been added to the 2024 School Immunisation Program for Year 10 students. The Meningococcal ACWY vaccine will be administered on Monday March 11, Week 8: the Meningococcal B vaccine will be administered during Term 2 after the recommended three-month gap between the vaccines. Both vaccines will be available free for all adolescents 15 to 19 years of age.

You can contact vaccine providers (such as GPs and Child Health Clinics) for any queries, and if you have young people unable to access the school immunisation program.

https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/families-plead-for-a-universallyfree-meningococcal-b-vaccine/8968b397-3e9f-4562-bac6-9b80025c59ad

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