14 March 2025

From the Principal

Welcome to the latest edition of our school newsletter. It’s hard to believe that there are only 3 weeks to go in Term 1 and yesterday students were issued with the 3 Step Challenge, the challenge to push through to the finish line and not pull up short. This challenge comes from legendary Rugby League coach Wayne Bennett, when he pushes his players in training to never quit or take an easy out before the finish line. Take 3 more steps, push through the line and give it your all.

For our students their final 3 steps is the final 3 weeks of the term. I encouraged students to not pull up short, to keep working hard, to act on feedback received at parent/ teacher interviews, to complete the assessment well, to get help from staff when they need it and to do everything in their power to push through the finish line of Term 1 and to keep striving for better things- ‘In Meliora Contende’. Please reach out if we can help you and your students in any way.

Last week it was wonderful to join the students at our annual Inter-Reef Swimming Carnival. It was a great day of competition and fun with terrific sportsmanship on display throughout the day. Congratulations to the winning Warrior Reef and to all students and staff for making the day such a success. I am incredibly proud of our students for the courage displayed in diving in and having a go! Well done everyone.

It is this determination and spirit I ask all students to take into the classroom everyday. Be the best you can in all aspects of your schooling.

Congratulations on a terrific Term 1!

Best wishes
Murray

Acknowledgement to Country

Townsville State High School acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we learn, work and play, the Wulgurukaba peoples and the Bindal people.  We recognise the continuing connections to lands, waters and communities.

We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Coming Events

Message from our Deputy Principals

As we approach the end of yet another term, I can’t help but take a moment to reflect on some of the positive accomplishments of our students. In the first instance, it has been excellent to see our new Year 7 cohort adjust to life at secondary school, and how our Year 11 and 12 students are meeting all the challenges that senior schooling brings.

Another highlight of the term was our Student Leaders Induction Ceremony. School Captains, Junior School Captains, Student Representative Council Leaders, and Reef Leaders were officially inducted on Monday 17 February, and we look forward to our students’ demonstrating their strong leadership throughout 2025.

Our annual inter-reef swimming carnival was run and won on the 5^th of March. In a surprise “boilover”, Warrior Reef came out on top, ending the recent dominance of Faraday. The day was very successful, filled with a mix of friendly rivalry, REEF spirit, and a sense of whole school camaraderie. Well done to all staff for helping organize events, support swimmers, and join in the cheering, pushing and encouraging students to do their best. It was so pleasing to see the “Age” champions and overall winners presented with their certificates and shields at the sports parade last Thursday.

Finally, and most recently, our Year 7 and Year 9 students have just completed their 2025, NAPLAN tests. These important tests are designed to help assess the performance of individual students as well as the overall performance of schools and educational systems across the country. These results are then used to guide our teaching practices, identify areas for improvement, and to track student progress over time.

As we enter the last three weeks of the term, I urge students to keep striving to do their best. I also wish you a safe and relaxing Easter break, and I encourage everyone to take care of themselves. I look forward to seeing you all again on April 22nd for an exciting Term Two.

David Gallagher
Deputy Principal

Qparents Registration

Thank you to those parents/caregivers who have registered for ‘Qparents’, which is a secure online parent portal. The online portal allows you to electronically notify the school of any student absence, check on the attendance and behaviour of your child, view a student’s current timetable and subjects, update contact details and receive any accounts for payment.

THE SYSTEM IS EXCELLENT AND HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO YOU!

All parents/caregivers should have received a mail package and emails about how to complete registration. Please contact the office if you need any support to register.

From the Rolls Office

Student absences are to be explained by a parent/caregiver to the Administration Staff stating the reason and dates of absence.  This may be done by phoning the school on 4721 8777 or by emailing absencesadmin@townsvilleshs.eq.edu.au

Student absences of three or more days due to illness require a medical certificate.  Medical certificates should be emailed to the above email address or hand delivered to the Administration Office.  Your prompt assistance with explanation of absences will be greatly appreciated.

Bus Travel Code of Conduct and Information Update for Parents and Schools

Students Out and About

Izzy Bee -  Koala Whisperer

Our Senior School Captain Izzy Bee has been working alongside her family in the conservation of Koalas on Magnetic Island for many years.  Izzy, aka The Koala Whisperer, is passionate about caring for these animals and bringing awareness to the dangers that they face.  You can catch Izzy on The Today Show from the link below.

The Arts Department News

School Musical – Legally Blonde Jnr

Our musical cast have been working hard perfecting their dancing and singing in preparation for the musical. The show follows the story of Elle Woods played by Elizabeth Nelson, a smart and charismatic woman who follows her heart to Harvard Law School. The talent in this cast is “EXTREME” and you will not want to miss seeing them rock out on stage! Tickets on sale soon!

STEM Academy News

On the 11^th March, Arabelle Furnell was invited to an International Women’s Day breakfast, sponsored by Engineers Australia. The breakfast reflected on both the global theme of #AccelerateAction, emphasising the need for swift and decisive steps to address systemic barriers and biases that women face, both personally and professionally. They discussed the need for an urgent push to achieve gender equality and accelerate the pace of progress toward full gender parity.  Additionally, the breakfast highlighted #MarchForward, commemorating 30 years since the UN's Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, highlighting the advances made by women over the last three decades while recognising that challenges still remain.

Thank you to Engineers Australia for sponsoring the event and supporting International Women’s Day in Townsville.

Student Support Services News

Post Graduation?

Graduated Year 12 and searching for employment opportunities? Follow these simple do’s and don’ts to ace your next interview.

Need help searching for a job, creating a standout resume and cover letter? You can get FREE help from Link and Launch.

Contact Cheree on 0448 566 365 to discuss how Link and Launch can help you.

P&C News

To the new members of our TSHS community - welcome! Welcome back to our returning families, supporters & community friends - 2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year for TSHS and “Strive for better things” we certainly shall!

At our first P&C Meeting for the year in February it was wonderful to be joined by our 2025 student leaders and executive council President. On behalf of the TSHS students who they represent, they did a fantastic job presenting their upcoming activities & future fundraising events. What was more impressive was their passionate advocating for the wants and needs of their peers. The ideas they tabled on how the P&C can support them to improve their school were very well received, and we love that they came along with quotes! A+.  The P&C are happy to be able to financially support projects such as these which will go on to make an everyday difference within the school for our students, staff & community.

When we say “everyone is welcome” to meetings, we really mean it, and this is why!

It was also great to hear from Mr James and the school’s leadership team. The updates on school facility upgrades and the insights shared of the TSHS future planning even had the year 12 students present all wanting to “come back next year for the new infrastructure!” As previously said, an exciting year ahead!

We were also joined by some wonderful teachers and committed teacher aides. They’re planning events for students which the P&C were happy to be able to support to help ease the financial burden on families. We approved combined funding of $13,500 towards these various projects.

Thank you to the staff who come along for your participation at these meetings. Your passion and commitment to your students is both admirable & appreciated. They give an hour out of their own time on a Tuesday night once a month, to better the education and school experience of our young people. Without this contribution we wouldn’t have been aware or able to support these families who we represent (we don’t know what we don’t know!) so we give thanks and appreciation and hope we get to hear from more staff throughout the year too. 

The TSHS P&C are quite fortunate and unique in that our funding is raised primarily from only ONE fundraiser each year – the V8 Supercars car-parking ticket sales!
(No bake sales, BBQ’s or raffle tickets to stress about!) 

This year, the V8’s will be on from 11-13 July - mark this in your calendars! It’s the last weekend of the mid-year school holidays and we’d love if everyone could support us by volunteering only a small amount of your time. The volunteers in years past have all had a great time, you get fed tasty snacks, hot food and drinks supplied by our talented Canteen staff PLUS you could even win yourself some amazing prizes! The roaring success of this fundraiser is not possible without YOU though so keep an eye out for info in Term 2!

AGM Info

The P&C’s Annual General Meeting will be held this Tuesday 18 March at 6:00pm in room B09. Enter via the admin block carpark on Boundary St, student leaders will also be there to assist any newcomers find their way.

The AGM is where all 2024 memberships and executive positions lapse. During this short meeting new memberships are approved for 2025 and nominations for executive positions are voted on. The available positions are: president, vice president/s, secretary and treasurer. More info from P&C Qld about these roles can be viewed here or reach out to the current position holder via email: pandc@townsvilleshs.eq.edu.au

If you’re interested in becoming a general member, please complete a membership form and submit via email or in person at the meeting.

Yours in the spirit of community,
Wyatt Frazer (Vice President)
on behalf of: Stephen Jess (President)
Maria Baira (Vice President) 
Samantha Talbot (Treasurer) &
Dianne Wardenaar (Secretary)

P&C Membership Application 2025
P&C Executive Positions 2025

What does a P& C Association do?

Parents and Citizens' (P&C) associations work in productive partnership with their school Principal and the community to promote the interests of the school, and facilitate its development and further improvement, to achieve the best possible outcomes for students.

P&C Association’s provide feedback and advice on school policies and activities, assist in providing resources to enhance student outcomes and are involved in a variety of school activities including fundraising, school functions and operating the canteen.

Townsville State High School Facebook Page

Our Facebook page has been active since 2015 and it is terrific to see the amount of content about our students and school programs appearing on the site and being updated on a daily basis. To view the page and post a message, please access via this link and once on the page, hit ‘like’

We are following a clear and strict set of guidelines related to Facebook usage by schools and our ‘gatekeepers’ do a fantastic job of monitoring content!

Inclusive Education News

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students (CALD)

This term has been a whirlwind of activities for our students from diverse cultural backgrounds. We proudly acknowledge that 35 different languages are spoken at home by our students! It’s wonderful seeing students sharing their traditions, stories, and perspectives. This diversity fosters a greater understanding of the world around us.

Week 5 began with 40 students participating in the Water Safety Program. We are thrilled that they are gaining confidence in the water and learning essential survival skills. Our online Milpera Reading Program also began in Week 5 and develops students ICT skills as well as improving their reading comprehension and fluency skills.

In Week 8, to celebrate our rich diversity, we are holding Harmony Day on Friday the 21^st of March. We encourage everyone to wear orange, the official colour of Harmony Day, to show support for cultural diversity, inclusion and belonging. Orange represents social communication and meaningful conversations. We have organised many activities and photos will be shared on the school’s Facebook page. Below is a table illustrating the number of students (Years 7-12) and their main languages:

Technologies Department News

Townsville SHS has introduced MSM20216 Certificate II in Manufacturing Technology with Year 10 students this year. Students have been busy gathering the necessary theory knowledge and have recently embarked on their first hands-on practical task to develop the competencies for MSMWHS200 Work Safely and MSMPCII295 Operate Manufacturing Equipment. During this task, the students learned how to interpret engineering drawings to create a keyring holder, utilising a range of manufacturing equipment, including a drop saw, drill press, and belt sander.

The students were excited to step out of the air-conditioned classroom and into the workshop, despite the heat, to work on their project. They successfully crafted their keyring holders, which were intended as a thoughtful gift to give to a loved one. Throughout the process, the students demonstrated great care in maintaining safety standards by following the workshop rules and adhering to all relevant Safety Operating Procedures. Their ability to work effectively and safely showcased their growing skills and understanding of manufacturing practices.

Mr Boon
HOD Technologies

HPE & Sport Department News

The Townsville Bulletin have published a story on the North Queensland 2025 School Sports Captains.  Please see the link - 

Inter Reef Swimming Carnival!

Congratulations to our Winning Reef Warrior!

Congratulations to the following Age Champions for Swimming:

Here are some photos from the carnival and the awards ceremony.

Post Graduation Information

2025 Next Step Year 12 Completers Survey

All Year 12 completers from last year will soon receive an invitation to participate in the Next Step survey. This is their chance to help our school to understand the different pathways of the 2024 Year 12 students and to improve our senior programs and supports for future students. The survey only takes five minutes and asks graduates about their study and work activities since finishing school.

As a thank you for participating, Year 12 completers who complete the survey will be entered into a draw to win a MacBook Air.

We ask parents, siblings and friends to encourage our graduates to complete the survey. If their contact details have changed, please assist survey interviewers by providing their updated details or forward the survey to their new address so they can participate. Graduates may receive an invitation by mail, email or phone. The survey can be completed online or by phone.

For more information about Next Step, including previous results, visit http://www.qld.gov.au/nextstep.

Community News

Free Youth Program at Citylibraries Flinders

The Children and Youth Services Librarians are running a new program at Citylibraries Flinders that my interest your students.

Facilitated by Youth RESET, this foundation program is suitable for youth aged 10+ years. You will experience and learn simple and effective body-breath-mind strategies to feel calm, steady, focused and enhance your self-care routine. All equipment provided.

Bookings are required at RESET Program for Youth | What's On Townsville

Parents/carers are encouraged to participate so they can support their child's wellbeing journey. We just ask that adults also book a space to reserve their equipment.

Location: Citylibrraies Flinders
Dates: Tuesday 18 March,  Tuesday 25 March, Tuesday 1 April
Time; 3.30pm – 4.30pm
FREE