Term 2 - Week 10 - June 2025

From The Principal

Dear Parent and Carers,

Welcome to Term 2, Week 10 Newsletter. Happy end of Semester 1. Thank you to our school community - students, parents, extended families and staff - for your support to our students this semester.  Schools are extremely busy and hectic and it is wonderful that we can always share so many positive stories with our community.

Year 10 Work Experience

A massive thank you to the employers, small businesses and people in our community who have supported over 100 Year 10 students participating in Work Experience.  What an amazing opportunity and I am sure our students are modelling outstanding respectful and responsible behaviours in all workplaces.

Thank you to Catherine Aspinall - Work Experience Coordinator; Isabelle Bushby – Year 10 Coordinator and Jarred Rohl – Head of Middle School - for making this happen in partnership with our community.

If businesses are interested in signing up a student on a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship after this experience, please make contact with Catherine Aspinall on caspi0@eq.edu.au There are extensive government financial benefits for businesses to sponsor traineeships and apprenticeships which will continue to support our students to live and work in our community!

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all students and staff who participated in the Athletics Carnival.  This event is always a huge amount of fun and the weather was prefect this year.  Age Champions and the winning House will be announced after the holidays.

Thank you to Bianca Parkes and all staff for leading the organisation of this event.   

Student Leadership (SLT) Trivia Night

Thank you to all businesses and community members who attended and offered sponsorship prizes at the SLT Trivia Night.  This was a wonderful community event led by our SLT leaders – Jarred and Lacey with the support of Thierrine Bromley, Glenda Tenni, and our Hospitality team – Michelle Kurschat, Amy Sachlikidis and Robyn Sloan-Orlandi.

This event raised over $5000.  Awesome work!

Staff Update

Congratulations to the following staff:

• Rebekah Bidois (Deputy Principal Senior) who has been offered a temporary Head of Secondary School role at Bentley Park College for Term 3
• Bradley Dennis – who has been offered the temporary Head of Department Student Engagement role at Tully State High School for the remainder of the year

Farewell to Liam Jarrett (IT technician and former student) who finishes his contract today to commence his tertiary studies in Melbourne.

All the very best to Emmy Sommerfeld (Business Manager) who is taking leave for Semester 2.  We will welcome Belinda Slater in the temporary role while Emmy is on leave.

Student Reports

All parents and carers will be emailed your student’s Semester 1 report on Friday 11 July.  All teachers are required to report on academic achievement, effort, behaviour and the parent-teacher interview option has been included. 

If teachers have selected that a parent-teacher interview is recommended, parents are advised to make direct contact with the class teacher to arrange a suitable time and method of communication.  Many parents may prefer a phone call.

The Tully SHS Open Night is planned for Wednesday evening the 23 July from 5.30pm.  This is also another opportunity for parents to talk with teachers. 

Snowies Trip

All the very best to our Year 12 students who are off on their Snowies trip on Sunday 29 June for a week.  A massive thank you to Michelle Kurschat, Bradley Dennis and Robyn Sloan-Orlandi for taking a week of their school holidays to make this memorable experience happen for our students.

NAIDOC Celebrations

During our first week back in Term 3, NAIDOC week will be acknowledged with various events and activities.  This annual week is a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Your Feedback

Your feedback is extremely important to us and allows you to review our systems and processes.  Please find inserted the link for a very short, simple survey on how we are going in key targeted areas.

I encourage all parents to complete the survey; it takes less than a minute!  The questions are modelled from the School Opinion Survey and are questions identified as needing work last year. 

Thanking you for completing this survey.

Facilities Update

Over the holidays, further building improvement works will continue.  These include:

• Completion of Undercover Area between N, A and B block
• All new air conditioning units will be installed in SP block
• External and internal painting of C block
• Upgrade to electrical safety in C block
• The Engineering Annex is having gutter replacement to attempt to stop water coming into area
• Various trees will be trimmed along the southern boundary fence

All the very best to our students participating in the Annual Deb Ball this Saturday evening. 

Finally, have a wonderful break and enjoy the time with your child/ren.  If you are planning a trip away, travel safe and we look forward to seeing all our students on Monday 7 July.

Yours in learning,
Ms Helen Carne
Principal

Arts News

For the month of June, the artworks of three students, Tilly, Jess and Amaya, have been on display at the Tanks Art Centre as part of the Receive Respond exhibition.  Each student participating in the exhibition had to respond to an artwork by a student from another school with a new artwork.  All three girls did an amazing job and were very proud of what they had produced.  At the opening night, the students also got to meet the artist to whose work they had responded.

Congratulations to these fine young artists!

Junior Visual Art News

It’s been a huge term for our Junior School Visual Art students!

Our Year 8 students have successfully completed a brand-new unit designed in alignment with the Version 9 Australian Curriculum. They are the very first group to undertake this new assessment, and the results have been outstanding. Well-done to all involved – your creativity and effort have truly shone through!

A special congratulations also goes to the Years 7, 8, and 9 students who have been part of The Young Artist Collective, our weekly artist workshop. This term, students created original artworks that have been entered into the 2025 Staedtler Young Artist Competition – an incredible opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage.

The Young Artist Collective will resume in Week 2 of Term 3 and is open to all students in Years 7–9. We look forward to welcoming both new and returning young artists!

Young Artist Collective Artwork Entries:

Year 8 Visual Art Student Artworks:

Tully Nursing Home Portraits

This term, the Year 9 Art class having been painting portraits of residents of The Tully Nursing Home.  This has been a thoroughly rewarding journey for the class. Students are proud to be gifting their paintings to the families of their loved ones which will help to keep memories alive. Our aim is to deliver these to the residents and their families in the near future.  Thank you to the nursing home for your collaboration.  The students have absolutely loved it.

Trivia Night At Tully State High School

June 14 saw Tully SHS High School run what they hope is a new tradition- Trivia Night. The Hospitality crew got together and created some amazing savoury and dessert platters to feed the over 160 guests who attended.

As part of students’ Certificate II in Hospitality they need to complete service periods where they interact and serve customers. Another unit students must complete is their RSA: some of our students put these newly acquired skills to practices in the bar and kitchen on the night.

The Formal Committee also ran a raffle on the night to raise funds for their formal. This wouldn’t have been made possible without the amazing generosity of local businesses. We would like to say a huge thank you to the following businesses who donated prizes for the night:

Pacific Fasteners Tully                                                        Tully Tackle world                          

Cardwell Newsagencies                                                      Garage Bar and Brewhouse Mission Beach

Tully NewXpress                                                                     Pyre_Hand_Burned

Mama Mia Tully                                                                      Igguldens Tully

Sea Breeze Cage Lounge Cardwell                                   Petals and Beanz Tully

 Wild Soul Collective Tully                                                   As Green As Nursery Tully

 Testing The Guests

Of course, the intent of the night was pitting the gathered teams against each other, testing their knowledge about subjects as diverse as sport and literature, science and art, music and local lore.

This was the province of the Student Leadership Team, headed by the Presidents Jarrod Vipiana and Lacey Condon with the help of Mrs Tenni and Ms Bromley. A great deal of forensically detailed organization underlies such an event, as we discovered; after such smooth success we are optimistic about the prospect of staging regular Trivia Nights.

Bookings were brisk in the week leading up to the night – 21 tables stretched our resources nicely. Some of our guests dressed up with imaginative panache, as the winner’s photo attests.

The tallies were close, the winners were jubilant, and everyone was appreciative of the excellent food and great atmosphere.

Those of you who had mused about going but didn’t, there is always next year!

A special thanks to Warren Giffin, who emerged from (semi?) retirement to MC the night.

Design Tracks 2025 – A Creative and Cultural Journey

In May, I had the privilege of accompanying two students - Rosealee Norris and Morgan Kelly - to the Design Tracks program in Cairns, an initiative that brings together young First Nations creatives from across Queensland to explore identity, storytelling, and design through hands-on workshops and mentoring. It was an unforgettable week, filled with inspiration, growth, and connections.

One of the most impactful experiences took place in Yarrabah, where students visited the local gallery and museum. There, they engaged with First Nations artists, exploring traditional artmaking methods and the deep cultural significance behind each piece. This experience not only offered a rich understanding of the Traditional Owners' history but also led into a creative workshop where students screen-printed their own t-shirts using designs from local artists — a definite highlight for one of our students who had never tried screen printing before.

Throughout the week, students collaborated with peers from other schools, many of whom were strangers at the start but quickly became friends by the end. Watching them come out of their shells, support one another, and share their stories was truly heartwarming.

The program also had a powerful impact on the students’ sense of cultural identity. For one student in particular, Design Tracks provided a space to feel seen and accepted — especially in navigating the complexities of identity as a young First Nations person with fair skin. The inclusive environment and support from mentors helped strengthen their confidence and pride in who they are.

While neither student had set out with the goal of pursuing art as a career, the program opened their eyes to the pathways available in the creative industries. They returned home with new skills, a deeper cultural connection, and a sense of empowerment — not just as young artists, but as proud storytellers and future changemakers.

Ebony Harper – Visual Art Teacher

PAY ATTENTION!

Original Words and artwork by DSU (Deadly Sisters Unite) - Design Tracks 2025

Gather around and introduce yourself.

PAY ATTENTION!

Early start, climb the mountain, to the museum we go. We learn through tradition that's been passed generations, skills from long time ago.

PAY ATTENTION!

Descend the mountain, follow the roads to the great Babinda Boulders. Listen to the ancient stories and the old man's song, follow his dance with passion and strength. Cleanse yourself with water that runs alongside the aged mountains.

PAY ATTENTION!

We mosey on down to the Cairns Art Gallery; we take in the history of our First Nations People. We observe their artworks, their created pieces of stories telling their truths.

PAY ATTENTION!

Moving on to the Courthouse Gallery, we consider different points of view of various modern indigenous artists who speak on current affairs in the indigenous community.

PAY ATTENTION!

Now we depart, we’re sad to say goodbye, no worries though, we’ll meet again in the many years ahead.

Cluster Percussion Day

Instrumental Music students from around the Tully Cluster came together for our Cluster Percussion Day in the Performing Arts block this week. It was a wonderful opportunity for our percussion students to work with guest percussion specialist Keryn Turner and work up some new ensemble pieces for the upcoming Tutti Frutti Concert to be held next term.

Students worked on their mallets and percussion parts for band, they learned a new art piece called Rainforest, incorporating boom whackers, and an exciting piece inspired by Japanese style Taiko drumming called Summon The Spirits. The Cluster Tutti Frutti Concert will be held in the MPC on Tuesday 2 September. Make sure you put this date in your calendars – a show not to be missed!

The Voice of the SLT

Tully SHS is in the process of formulating a Facilities Master Plan, an essential document that will guide upgrades and innovations for the next five years. Staff and community representatives have had their input, and last week it was the turn of the Student Leadership Team.

The consultation was led by the architects involved: they were impressed by the students’ recommendations, and remarked on the common threads that have emerged among the stakeholders.

The SLT membership spans all the Year Levels, so while the Senior on the team will not experience the changes that they were so vocal about, the Juniors certainly will.

Media Arts

A huge shoutout to our incredible Years 8-12 Media students for their creativity and hard work this semester. Some highlights include the Year 8s’ advertising stop-motion films, the Years 9 and 11 music videos, and Year 10s’ action-packed genre films. Well done to all students; we look forward to showcasing your excellent work later in the year.

Thank You

Sports News

Congratulations to:

• Layla M, Sophia H & Chase C (shadow) on selection in the 10-12 Years Peninsula Touch Football teams.
• Darcy A & Seb D on selection in the 10-12 Years Southern Zone Cricket team.

ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

The TSHS Athletics Carnival was a huge success, filled with 5-star performances, impressive sportsmanship and enthusiastic participation.  A huge thank you to the wonderful team of TSHS staff who put together a great carnival for the students to enjoy.  The overall House results and age champions will be celebrated at the first assembly in Term 3. 

District Athletics Carnivals are on in Term 3.  Students who finished in the top three (10-12 years) and top four
(13-19) years will receive paperwork to attend the District Trials: 

 Cassowary Coast 13-19 Years
Friday 1 August – now at Castor Park Mourilyan

Southern Zone 10-12years
Wednesday 6 August (800m & Discus) at TSHS (after school)
 Friday 8August (all other events) at Lower Tully SS

Parents will receive an email with information / paperwork.  Due to Peninsula paperwork being required, consent will not be available via QParents.  Students must submit completed T&F Peninsula paperwork to be eligible to attend.  

Workshop For Teachers & Future Educators

Works of Art - Tully Show Society

Recycling on the Runway

Tully Show Selfie Challenge

Centacare - Making a Difference FNQ

Cassowary Coast University Centre

Tully SHS P&C

🧥 Uniform Shop Reminder
Just a reminder that the uniform shop is only open on Wednesdays 8am – 9am.
The new hooded jumper is now available for just $35 – get yours while stock lasts!

P&C Announcement

We have had to make some changes to up-coming meetings due to clashes with other school events.

Please note the new dates:

Term 3 - 23 July - 5.30 Millside Café

                - 13 August - 5.30 Grandstand Meeting Room

Term 4 - 8 October - 5.30 Grandstand Meeting Room

                - 19 November - 5.30 Top Pub

If you have students needing to travel for representative activities both Local or State the P&C is available to provide some financial support, if requested.

The student will need to send a letter of request to panc@tullyshs.eq.edu.au.

T.S.H.S Dress Code

QParents - How to register

Creating a QParents account requires you to complete a 4-step registration process.

    1.Enter the invitation code

You must receive an invitation letter or email with your unique invitation code before you can complete this step. If you have not received an invitation letter or email, please contact the school via phone on (07) 4068 4555 or via email at info@tullyshs.eq.edu.au. To enter your code and get started, click register your interest at https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/landing.

    2. Verify your identity

Select next and after accepting the terms and conditions of use of QParents, you will be required to verify your identity by completing an online 100 point identification check using documents including Australian Passport, drivers license, birth or marriage certificate or Medicare card.

    3. Create a QParents account

You will be required to create a QParents account using an email address as your account name. That email address will need to be confirmed before your account will be activated. You may, optionally, also provide a mobile number which will be used by QParents to verify your identity (e.g. send you an SMS code to enter into QParents).

    4. Add your child

Step four, can be done either online or using the QParents app. You will need to request access to view your child's information. You will need to know your child's EQID to do this. You can find the EQ ID on your child’s ID card, report cards, OneSchool or school invoices. It consists of 10 numbers and one letter. The school can also provide this number if needed. After completing these steps, your request to create a QParents account will be sent to your child's school for final approval. 

Why do you need a QParents Account?

 QParents allows parents to connect instantly with their child’s school to access and manage their child’s student information, including:

• Attendance and absence details, as well as the ability to notify the school of an absence
• Behaviour information
• Academic report cards
• Providing consent for excursions and online services
• Viewing unpaid invoice details, payment history, and making payments online
• Viewing and updating student details, including medical conditions and address
• Enrolment details  
• Parents can view or update their child’s details without having to contact the school
• Available anytime, anywhere!                                                                                                                                                

2025 - School Sport

T.S.H.S. Tuckshop Menu - Banny Bites

Uniforms Wanted!