Year 11 and 12 Attendance Success

In Week Five, we celebrated the outstanding commitment of our Year 11 and 12 students who achieved an attendance rate of 90% or higher with a special sausage sizzle. Impressively, 86% of all Year 11 and 12 students reached this milestone, demonstrating a strong start to the academic year. Maintaining high attendance is crucial for academic success, and we are committed to encouraging this positive trend throughout the term.

Regular attendance is essential in the final years of schooling, ensuring students maximize their learning opportunities. If your student was not invited to this celebration, we encourage you to contact the school to explore support options that will help them achieve their full potential.

Tuckshop Upgrade

We are very excited about receiving $500000 dollar to upgrade our tuckshop facilities.  This upgrade will be a once in 20-year upgrade and ensure that it offers the best standards to our students every day. 

Additionally, we have completed an outdoor refurbishment of the tuckshop area, incorporating additional seating, shaded zones, and grassed areas to create a comfortable and inviting space for students to enjoy their breaks. These improvements reflect our ongoing commitment to enhancing the student experience. 

Inappropriate Language – Swearing – School Expectations

This year, the school is taking a firm stance on the use of inappropriate and offensive language. Swearing is not socially acceptable and will not be accepted at school.  We have already implemented this policy, and we are pleased with the positive response from students.

Regardless of personal views on swearing, it is a breach of the school’s Student Code of Conduct and will result in consequences. In the majority of workplaces, swearing is deemed unacceptable, and as a school, our role is to prepare students for future employment by fostering a respectful and professional communication style. We appreciate the support of all families in reinforcing this expectation.

School uniform – No variations acceptable

At North Rockhampton State High School, students are expected to wear the full school uniform every day. This includes covered footwear that meets safety requirements and school-approved jumpers.

Students who are not in the correct uniform will be asked to change into second-hand uniforms provided by the school, or parents may bring appropriate clothing from home. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring all students adhere to the uniform policy, promoting a sense of school pride and unity. 

Attendance – 90% or more

School absenteeism and truancy can impact significantly on students' learning and wellbeing.

Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Additionally, attending school every day helps children to build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience.

To be clear around attendance.  It is a parents’ responsibility to get students to school. Unapproved absence resulting in less than 90% attendance is neglectful and in breach of QLD expectations that students are ‘Learning or Earning’ 

For more support around attendance go to https://education.qld.gov.au/initiatives-and-strategies/initiatives/every-day-counts/for-parents-and-community

Kurt Goodwin

Principal

Year 9 - NAPLAN will begin in week 7. Below is the schedule for year 9’s. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the Middle School team. 

Year 10

Year 10 Immunisations – Action Required
The Year 10 immunisation paperwork has been emailed to you and is now fully digital! Please take a moment to complete the online permission forms as soon as possible to ensure a smooth process on Monday, 24 March 2025.

PPEP Talk® Next Steps – Free Online Session
On Monday, 3 March 2025, Year 10 students assigned female at birth attended the Periods, Pain & Endometriosis Program (PPEP). A follow-up session, PPEP Talk® Next Steps, is available FREE for students experiencing complex pain concerns or for caregivers wanting to learn more. This online session, hosted by Gynaecologist and Pain Specialist Associate Professor Susan Evans, allows students and caregivers to ask questions in a supportive environment.

Students can register for upcoming sessions here (https://www.pelvicpain.org.au/ppep-talk-schools-program/ppep-talk-next-steps/). 

Year 10 Parent Information Session – Tuesday, 25 March 2025 @ 5 PM
Join us for an informative evening covering the subject selection process, SET Planning, and available student support services. This is a valuable opportunity to help guide your child through their next steps in education.

Where: [School location]
RSVP: Jordanna Kele – jkele35@eq.edu.au or call (07) 4924 7888 (for catering purposes).

Subject Selection & Career Expo – Wednesday, 2 April 2025
Year 10 students will participate in an all-day Subject Selection & Career Expo in place of regular classes. This event is designed to help students make informed decisions about their future study and career pathways. We encourage you to chat with your child about the importance of engaging in this process.

Thank you for your ongoing support—we look forward to working together to guide your child through this exciting stage of their education!

Jordanna Kele

HOD Middle School

I’d like to welcome back for the 2025 school year our returning families, and introduce myself to our new families. My name is Garrett McKenzie and am one of the Guidance Officers, alongside Christine McTaggart available to students at North Rockhampton SHS.

My role primarily sits within the Years 10-12 cohorts, with Christine supporting our Year 7-9 cohorts. Guidance Officers support students with their wellbeing and mental health, careers and pathways, tertiary education advice and application support and supporting the Junior, Middle & Senior schooling teams with academic and wellbeing case management. If you believe your young person may benefit from some additional support, please contact either myself or Christine on 4924 7888.

A focus for our Year 10-12 students will be  identifying and preparing for their future pathway plans. Students are encouraged to identify careers they may be interested in and begin to understand the requirements to obtain a position in that role. The school also provides opportunities for students to engage with this through:

• Careers Expo
• Industry talks
• Work experience
• SETPlan
• QCE Mentoring Meetings
• University Experience Days or Informational Sessions

Students are strongly encouraged to access these opportunities to engage with relevant industry representatives and develop their own knowledge around these pathways. We also encourage parents and caregivers to have these discussions with your young people at home to offer your own advice, as well as supporting your young people as navigate through the information and decision-making around education and training options to get them where they want to go.

For our students seeking university admission following Year 12, it is recommended that they are developing their understanding of requirements for entry to their desired degree, as well as ensuring they are either ATAR eligible or aware of an alternate entry pathway into their desired university and/or program. Students can do this research via the institution’s website or a tertiary admission centre website such as QTAC. The Senior Schooling team will be supporting our Year 12 students later this year with university application processes. Further information about this will come out early Semester 2.

If your young person needs any support in career, education and/or pathway planning- please reach out to myself or our Senior Schooling team to discuss.

Garrett McKenzie

Guidance Officer, Yrs 10, 11 & 12

I hope everyone had a restful and productive break and is ready for the year ahead. My name is Mrs. Festing, and I am honoured to serve as the Head of the Mathematics Department.

It is a privilege to be part of a dedicated and talented team committed to fostering mathematical understanding and achievement. Our goal is to inspire curiosity, develop problem-solving skills, and support all students in their mathematical journey. Whether you are seeking to extend your capabilities, strengthen your foundational skills, or gain a deeper appreciation for mathematics, we are here to guide and support you.

I welcome the following new staff to the Maths Faculty in 2025:

• Nicole Campbell
• Tracy Langford
• Thomas Young
• Tracy Livingstone
• Danielle Parsons
• Samantha Irwin 

As we commence the new term, our students are engaging in a range of mathematical concepts and practical applications across all year levels.

Year 8: Rational Numbers – Students are developing their problem-solving skills by applying the four operations and exponent laws to calculations involving positive integer exponents. They are also learning to distinguish between irrational numbers and decimals that are terminating or recurring.

Year 9: Shape in Art – Students are designing a mural concept that could be painted outside the Mathematics’ staffroom. This project involves scale drawing of two-dimensional shapes and applying enlargement techniques to ensure the design fits appropriately on the wall.

Year 10: Council Sculpture – Students are designing a sculpture that requires calculations of surface area and volume for composite solids. They will also investigate the financial implications of constructing their design, integrating both mathematical and real-world problem-solving skills.

Senior Students – As we begin the 2025 academic year, senior students are actively engaging with their first units of study and preparing for upcoming assessments. Effective time management, including the productive use of allocated study periods and regular revision, will be crucial for success. We encourage students to check in with their teachers regularly for guidance and feedback.

Supporting Student Success

Consistent attendance is vital to ensuring students have every opportunity to succeed. A reminder that Mathematics tutorials are available every Tuesday and Thursday during first lunch in G07. These sessions provide students with the opportunity to:
✔ Seek clarification on coursework
✔ Work on homework and assessment tasks in a quiet environment
✔ Access laptops for technology-based tasks.

We look forward to a productive and rewarding term ahead.

Morgan Festing

HOD Maths

These dates are subject to change and will be updated throughout 2025:

WHAT IS QPARENTS?

QParents is a new, more convenient way for parents to access their children’s schooling information and interact with their school. Read more about QParents at
https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/about

Help and more information

Further help with registering for QParents can be found on the QParents Help page at https://qparents.qld.edu.au/#/help

If you have any other questions or require some assistance with the registration process, please contact the Service Centre on 13QGOV (137468).

We hope that you enjoy the convenience of using QParents.

School Immunisation program is going digital.  This will replace paper consent cards.  How it works?  More information will be emailed out soon, please also see the information below:-

Our school’s unique link and QR Code: 

https://ozcarecentralqld.book.vitavo.com.au/school/NorthRockhamptonStateHighSchool-WgDwK9

Any further information, please contact Ozcare.