Term 1 - Week 8 - March 2025

From The Principal

Dear Parent and Carers,

Welcome to Term 1, Week 8 Newsletter.

Tully SHS has so many wonderful students who participate in extracurricular and community-led activities.  It is awesome to share with our school community emails or comments that we often receive about our students.

Just emailing to commend the Tully boys on the way they carried themselves today with sportsmanship and respect on and off the court for everyone including specifically officials.

Happy for you to pass this on to John, Ricky and Tait!

Thank you for taking the time to commend our amazing students!

Staffing Updates

As mentioned in the Week 6 Newsletter, over the coming weeks there will be a number of staffing changes due to staff going on leave. I am on long service leave in Week 10 and Mrs Natasha Glover will be the Acting Principal for this week.  I look forward to hearing that my contract will be extended next term.  Other staff changes in place:

• Mrs Rachelle Paton – Acting Deputy Principal Junior
• Mrs Robyn Sloan-Orlandi – Acting Deputy Principal Senior
• Mr Jarred Rohl – Acting Head of Department Middle
• Mrs Bianca Parkes – Acting Head of Senior
• Mr Joshua Zahn – Year 9 Year Level Coordinator

Please don’t hesitate to contact the office from where you will be directed to the right person.

P&C Update

Thank you to the parents, staff and students who attended our P&C meeting on Wednesday evening.
We filled the room!

Congratulations to the following members of the Executive for 2025:

• President – Katie McLaughlin
• Vice President – Sarah Ritchie
• Treasurer – Kate Maloney
• Secretary – Vacant

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of this Executive.

A massive thank you to Trish Ryan and Tammy Sloan who held positions well after their children graduated from our school.  Their work and dedication to our school and community is to be celebrated!

No New Learning/Moderation Day

Thank you to the community for supporting our ‘No New Learning’ and Moderation Day.  This time afforded to our teachers makes a massive difference in being able to plan and deliver high quality Unit Plans for the following term.  We greatly appreciate your support!

Reporting – New Scales

The K–12 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework (K-12 Framework) November 2024 sets out the requirements for all Queensland State Schools.  Schools implement the requirements of the

K–12 Framework considering government priorities and in consultation with parents and the school community. 

A new 2025 change to the K–12 Framework is the reporting guidelines.  Schools are now required to report on effort and behaviour using an A–E scale.  I have included in this newsletter the scales which will be featured on the front page of all student reports and how Tully SHS will interpret these scales using our four core values. 

Mobile Phone – Away for the Day

All Qld schools introduced mobile phones away for the day in 2024.  From a school perspective, this policy has had a significant improvement on our student lives during the school day.  While we allow personal mobile devices to be brought to the school, research has found they are detrimental to effective learning and teaching if used inappropriately during lesson time or at break times. In this newsletter, I have reiterated our school procedures: if a mobile phone is out during the hours of 8.45am – 2.45pm, it must be taken to the office - a parent will then receive a text message to advise that they must collect.

Our procedures require all parties – students, parents and staff to understand their responsibilities regarding this policy. 

Assessment Focussed

As the end of term approaches – two weeks to go - it is critical that students are submitting all their assessments and seeking teacher support when required. Please do not hesitate to contact the school or class teacher if you have any concerns!

Have an awesome fortnight! 

Yours in learning,
Ms Helen Carne
Principal

Reporting Period Schedule – 2025

Academic reporting is about communication to parents and students about achievement progress in the curriculum provided. Academic reports provide point-in-time information about achievement at the end of each reporting period. At Tully State High School, student reports are prepared four times per year. All reports will be emailed to parents in 2025.

Academic achievement in each subject corresponds to the relevant standard descriptors as prescribed by QCAA. For all subjects (excluding VET), academic achievement will be awarded using a five-point scale (A – E). Academic achievement for Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects will be awarded achievement based on a three-point scale (competency achieved, working towards competency, and competency not achieved).

An N is used in exceptional circumstances, when there is insufficient summative assessment evidence to make a judgement about a student’s level of achievement. An ‘N’ is not suitable when there is available evidence (such as work from class activities, anecdotal records, drafts of summative assessments) that have been gathered during curriculum delivery against the relevant achievement standard. This evidence can be judged against a relevant existing marking guide.

All N’s must be approved by the Head of Department – Curriculum before applied to reports.

Behaviour achievement uses a five-point scale (A – E) and is based on an overall judgement of the following student behaviours in alignment with the Student Code of Conduct.

Effort achievement uses a five-point scale (A – E) and is based on an overall judgement of the following student behaviours in alignment with the Student Code of Conduct.

Use of Personal Mobile Devices by a Student

All Queensland schools are required to develop school specific procedures for the implementation of the ‘use of personal mobile devices by students.

Rationale:

Queensland Government mandates phones away for the day:

• to support students to develop safe, responsible and respectful personal mobile device practices
• to reduce the impact that inappropriate personal mobile device usage has on class learning, the development of resilience as well as administration and teaching time
  and
• to support students to manage the relationship with technology and develop long term healthy lifestyles habits, including developing the capacity to engage in developmentally appropriate and healthy activities during school lunch breaks that do not involve technology

Preamble: 

While we allow personal mobile devices to be brought to the school, research has found they are detrimental to effective learning and teaching if used inappropriately during lesson time or at break times. At Tully State High School, personal mobile devices are considered to be:

• mobile phones
• wearable technology or sensing devices (i.e., earphones/cords/air buds, smartwatches)

Student Responsibilities

The responsibilities for students using personal mobile devices at school or during school activities, are outlined below:

• Students are encouraged to leave personal mobile devices at home.
• Students may use mobile phones/smart watches and/or electronic listening devices before and after school (before 8:45am and after 2:45pm).
• At all other times, these devices must be turned off (not on silent/vibration), out of sight (includes earphones/cords/air buds) and kept safely in your pocket or bag, phones are away for the day.
• Students are responsible for the security, integrity, insurance and maintenance of their personal mobile devices.
• Students who bring a personal mobile device to school do so at their own risk and are responsible for its safe keeping. The school will not investigate theft, loss or damage of any personal mobile device brought to school.
• Be courteous, considerate and respectful of others when using a personal device.
• Students are able to use their personal mobile device to pay for tuckshop.
• For parent-student contact during the day, students with phones can only check missed calls/messages before and after the school day (i.e., before 8:45am and after 2:45pm). For emergency contact, parents must call the school office.
• Principal (or their delegate), may approve an exemption. This allows the student to use their personal mobile device during school hours for specific purposes including for medical, disability and/or wellbeing reasons.

Students in Years 10, 11 & 12:

May use a personal mobile device in learning, for a specific task, for a specific time under staff supervision at the explicit direction of a staff member. The personal mobile device is not to be accessed for recreational use (examples include and not limited to music, social media, videos). 

Consequences for Misuse of personal mobile device:

• If a student misuses the device, the student will be sent to the office where the device will be handed in and a slip will be issued. This slip is shown to the staff member as evidence for handing the phone in to the office. Parent/Guardian must organise to collect the student personal mobile device from the office at the earliest possible time.
• If a student refuses to hand the personal mobile device to the office, the student will be referred to the HOD Student Services (Junior School, Middle School, Senior School) for follow up.
• Breaches of the law may be referred to the police.

It is unacceptable for students while at Tully State High School to:

• use a personal mobile device in an unlawful manner
• use a personal mobile device to take photos of others without permission
• download, distribute or publish explicit, offensive messages or pictures
• use obscene, inflammatory, racist, discriminatory or derogatory language
• use language and/or threats of violence that may amount to bullying and/or harassment, or stalking
• insult, harass or attack others or use obscene or abusive language
• use in-phone cameras anywhere a normal camera would be considered inappropriate, such as in change rooms or toilets
• invade someone's privacy by recording personal conversations or daily activities and/or the further distribution (e.g., forwarding, texting, uploading, Bluetooth use etc.) of such material
• use a personal mobile device (including those with Bluetooth functionality) to cheat during exams or assessments
• take into or use personal mobile devices at exams or during class assessment unless expressly permitted by school staff

Parent Responsibilities

• be aware that:
• Students who use personal mobile devices in a manner that is not appropriate may be subject to disciplinary action by the school
• Teachers will always exercise their duty of care, but avoiding or reducing access to harmful information also requires responsible use by the student
• Support the policy by sending messages/calling to mobile phones outside of school hours (before 8:45am and after 2:45pm)
• Contact the school office in the case of an emergency requiring a student to be notified
• Collect their child’s personal mobile device as soon as possible after they have been notified the property is available for collection
• Tully SHS asks that the parent/guardian respect the phone away for the day policy and refrain from handing the personal mobile device back to the student during school hours

Staff responsibilities

All staff at Tully SHS:

• Model the appropriate use of personal mobile devices at school
• Use personal mobile devices to fulfil their duties (e.g., notify emergency services, report safety issues to administration, One School technology violation)

Celebrating Our North Queensland Writers

We North Queenslanders are a hardy lot, and we love our literature. This must be true, because on Thursday, 20th February, more than a hundred of us converged on Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts – Townsville City to celebrate the achievements of four regional authors and a cohort of writers who are still at school. We came despite the recent cyclonic weather, and even when we arrived it wasn’t looking all that bright.

The Foundation for Australian Literary Studies (FALS), the English Teachers Association of Queensland (ETAQ) [Townsville Branch], the Roderick Centre for Australian Literature and Creative Writing, and the Mary Who? Bookshop were joint sponsors of the event.

After FALS Company Secretary, John Chandler, and Heather Fraser, long-serving President of ETAQ [Townsville Branch], welcomed the gathering, Mary Vernon entertained us with some of her adventures as a journalist and book reviewer. Mary, who has worked overseas and in most Australian states and is currently writing a novel of her own, is a long-serving member of the judging panel for the Foundation’s Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award.

All four of the writers honoured at Thursday’s gathering presently live in Townsville. They share extended connections with North Queensland, but their lives and writings about the region could hardly be more diverse. Each writer read a thoughtful excerpt from his or her latest work.

Nicole Crowe’s debut novel, The Washup, written as a requirement for Nicole’s Creative Writing PhD at James Cook University, will be published later in 2025 by Pantera Press (Hardie Grant Publishing). Nicole grew up on Magnetic Island, so I’m looking forward to exploring insights in The Washup about life on the island and in Townsville, where this crime novel’s events take place.

A second crime writer and speaker at our event, Veronica Lando, creates her novels in the midst of a busy family life. First published by HarperCollins in 2022, The Whispering is a prize-winning mystery thriller set in the rain forest but drawing on other Queensland locations such as “Granite Creek” and “the notorious Boulders.” Veronica’s second novel, The Drowning Girls, set in the fictional Gulf town of Port Flinders, was published in 2023. Sentences such as, “a woman’s body, identified as a local teenager thought dead twenty-five years ago, is pulled from the inky waters of the gulf,” evokes the Gothic dimension that sometimes shapes North Queenslanders’ perception of the place that we regard as home.

The name Elliot Hannay is well known to Townsville readers and to Australians generally. Published in 2020, Elliot’s autobiography, The Colt with No Regrets, traces his distinguished and often exciting career as a journalist from his home town of Bundaberg in 1958 to his appointments as editor of the Townsville Bulletin and as an ABC news journalist in Brisbane, Townsville and Mackay. Elliot deserves credit for his engagement with First Nations’ resistance to racism in Queensland, from the Mabo Native title dispute to the Stolen Wages and Black Voice campaigns. His opposition to crime and corruption led to his being targeted with litigation and even death threats by gangsters, among them Abe Saffron. Elliot read a description from the prologue to his memoir, of “An eccentric, gay, alcoholic, war-wounded retired major of the Irish Guards who sometimes alluded to degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge.” Elliot is married to the popular romance writer, Barbara Hannay. A speaker at last year’s FALS and ETAQ celebration, Barbara’s latest book, The Wife’s Secret, published in 2024, is set in a tropical Queensland town.

Trisha Fielding is neither a novelist nor a journalist, but a Special Collections Officer at James Cook University. She is also a respected historian of our region. I recommend that you visit https://trishafieldingwriter.com/about-me/, which gives access to Trisha’s work, including her beautiful photographs of North Queensland places, plants and animals. Trisha’s latest book, Expedition to the Great Barrier Reef, with contributions from Suzie Davies and Liz Downes, can be accessed at https://jcu.pressbooks.pub/yonge/ In addition to the many articles that she has contributed to the Townsville Bulletin, Trisha is the author of Asleep in the Deep (2022), A University for the North (2021), Neither Mischievous nor Meddlesome (2019), Queen City of the North (2016) and of the blogs “North Queensland History” and “Women of the North.” Trisha spoke about her latest project, which centres on three adventurous women and their travels through the landscapes of north Queensland and New Guinea.

The final event of the evening was the awarding of prizes for the FALS Narrative Writing Competition for Senior Students in 2024. The winners were introduced by Helene Kotzas-Lazaredes, FALS board Director and English teacher at Ignatius Park College.

The joint winners of the competition, both from Tully State High School, were Taylah Reis for the story, “He’s a Grade A Pillock, But He’s Mine,” and Jasmine Pitman for the story, “The Toll of Trench Warfare.”

Together with one of their teachers, Mrs Kathleen MacDonald, the winners succeeded in being present (by swimming from Tully?) to receive their prizes. These were presented by the competition judges, Professor Emeritus Nola Alloway and Associate Professor (Adjunct) Cheryl Taylor, former lecturers at JCU. The judges were very favourably impressed by the overall standard of the entries, which came from schools as far south as Yeppoon.

In addition to the winners, the following stories received the award of Highly Commended:
“Aftermath” by Mia Parlapiano, Cairns State High School;
“The Circle of Life” by Maya Hadar Pagliari, Cairns State High School;
“Burning Ballerina” by Sierra Squire, Cairns State High School;
“When I Flew Over” by Tate Hastie, Ignatius Park College;
“Pleading Guilty” by Summer Cassells, Kirwan State High School;
“Windows to the Soul” by Jack McCosker, The Cathedral School;
“Poster Girl” by Lana Campbell, Tully State High School;
“Snowflakes” by Stefanie van Tonder, Tully State High School;
“Whispering Walls” by Natasha Davis, Atherton State High School;
“Solitude” by Ariarn Mann, St Ursula’s College Yeppoon.

Postscript:  For over half a century I’ve read, researched and assessed North Queensland’s fiction, poetry and prose writing. The richness of this undervalued literary heritage never ceases to amaze me. An advance relevant to Queensland literature as a whole was marked by the granting of the 2024 Foundation for Australian Literary Studies, Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award to Melissa Lucashenko for Edenglassie, a vivid recreation of race relations in early and contemporary Brisbane. Trent Dalton’s Lola in the Mirror, a novel about Brisbane fringe-dwellers, was shortlisted for the award.

Events like the one described indicate that, wherever they are based, present and future Queensland writers promise to equal or outdo their predecessors, in both the quality and the abundance of their work.

Cheryl Taylor

A First-Class Qualification

For the second consecutive year, TSHS is providing the Year 12 cohort with the opportunity and the means to obtain their First Aid Certificate, which includes CPR and a compulsory online theory component. While it is mandatory, and one of their main tasks to complete as a condition of a Wednesday afternoon exemption, this is at the same time a gift: an invaluable set of skills that has life-saving potential.

So far, three groups will have undergone instruction from RESCUE-1’s highly experienced Austin Stuart, each on a Wednesday afternoon, and all have been deemed ‘competent’. Two more groups are in the wings.

Feedback from those students has been very positive, with some being surprised at how much they enjoyed the whole experience.

Accidents and medical events punctuate our lives: how good it is to have someone in our orbit who can respond with precision!

Thierrine Bromley

Duke of Edinburgh Award 2025

Adventure awaits! The Duke of Edinburgh Award’s expeditions are the perfect chance to test your limits, bond with friends, and experience nature like never before. Are you ready to take on the Wild? 

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is available for students in Years 9 -12 at Tully SHS. This award is designed for students who are ready to challenge themselves and develop skills for the real world. The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is focussed on supporting young people to thrive. 

This program is starting in Term 2. If any students are interested in taking on the challenge to improve their physical fitness, develop confidence and serve their community, now is the time to sign up or learn more.

Come and speak to Mr Rohl or Miss Harper to collect a form, learn more about the course and sign up.  

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!                                                                                                                                                

Sports News

TSHS students continue to succeed at district and Peninsula trials.  Congratulations to students for their behaviour both on and off the sporting fields on the way in which they conduct themselves at trials.  We have had several district coaches contact us commending the behaviour of our students, not only in their own sportsmanship displayed, but their respectful interactions with coaches and officials.   

 Congratulations on Cassowary Coast selections 

13-16 Basketball: Justin D & Lachlan A 

10-12 Netball: Sophia H & Mia M 

10-12 Basketball (Southern Zone): Aiden M & Darcy A 

 Congratulations on Peninsula selections  

15 Boys Volleyball: Bemo R & Lynnor T (shadow).

Qld School Sport Championships Student Official Opportunities 

📢REGISTER NOW 📢 

2025 calendar  

✔Australian football (12 years) - https://survey.qed.qld.gov.au/n/enZhnkB  

✔Australian football (15-19years)- https://survey.qed.qld.gov.au/n/enZhnkB & https://www.cognitoforms.com/AFLQ.../QRSSAFLStudentUmpireEOI  

✔Basketball - https://forms.gle/rEQ2CCUhGTz5VYLRA   

✔Football - email referees@footballqueensland.com.au    

✔Hockey - https://www.hockeyqld.com.au/events/283839    

✔Netball - https://forms.office.com/r/gU8v8V8tXw   

✔Rugby league - https://forms.office.com/r/jgkgJyzsyM?origin=lprLink   

✔Rugby Union – to be confirmed with QRU 

✔Softball - https://forms.gle/cNLhopc5jSqTu7Lz5   

✔Touch football - https://forms.office.com/r/Efi0yLCc1F   

✔Water polo - https://survey.qed.qld.gov.au/n/enZhnkB  

  Sport Funding Opportunities

https://www.cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/news/article/1407/cassowary-coast-youth-sports-bursary-now-open 

Queensland Representative School Sport Leadership Program

Queensland Representative School Sport is continuing to empower student voice. In collaboration with Future Anything, The Big Ideas Sport Challenge will launch the Sports Leaders’ Program run by Queensland Representative School Sport. As part of the Challenge, participants will leverage their passions for sport and design an actionable project to implement in their school. 

 Students will refine their skills of creativity and curiosity by responding to this mission: As an entrepreneur, develop and pitch a school-based project that enhances participation in sport. 

As members of the Sports Leaders’ Students from across Queensland are encouraged to be involved with the support of their school. 

The QRSS Student Leadership Program and local school sport leaders will collaborate with Future Anything to discuss: 

• Access opportunities for all students in Queensland in all aspects of school sport.
• Building capacity of others through leadership.
• Bringing their ideas to life in their schools and communities.
• Reducing barriers and increasing opportunities to access sport for a long term positive impact.

  Registration link - https://forms.office.com/r/zvkTNErFsB 

• Session 1 – online session Wednesday 2nd April, 2025 – 8:15-8:45am. 

• Session 2 - April 30th 9-3pm, The Precinct, Fortitude Valley 

• Session 3 – 4 – online throughout the year – dates to be confirmed                                                                                        
  
• Session 5 – November 4th, 9-3pm, The Precinct, Fortitude Valley 

FNQ Indigenous Netball

Swimming Carnival

The annual TSHS swimming Carnival is on Friday 4^th April (final day of term).  Parents will receive a consent form via QParents. 

The theme is Crazy Colours – come dressed in house colours (remember sun safe clothing).

2025 - School Sport

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

Embrace Kids

Tully Catholic Parish

Tully Catholic Parish is seeking candidates for the 2025 Sacramental Program commencing in early May for students in Year 4 or above.  Please register your interest via text to Sharon Chappel on 0419170931 or phoning the Parish Office on 40681143 or email at tully.parish@cairns.catholic.org.au by no later than 22^nd April 2025.

Future You Summit 2025

Finished Year 12 in 2024

Become A Lifesaver

Come and Try Surf Lifesaving

Rugby Opportunity

Uniforms Wanted!