30 May 2025

A Message from Our Principal

3C Priority Update: Culture – Safe, Supportive, Collaborative

Meet our Heads of House

Pictured from left to right: Ms Thiainen (Barnes), Mrs King (Bilin Bilin), Ms King (Francis), Mr Hurren (Karle)

Student Spotlight From our Heads of House

Celebrating Success

While there are many ways that students can contribute to their house and earn points, this in turn creates opportunities for us to celebrate success both individually and collectively. So far this year we have celebrated the following:

Attendance

·House Care Group with the best term attendance wins a Pizza Party

·House points are allocated for individuals with 90%+ attendance - they also have the chance to win canteen vouchers

Values Awards

·Recognition Assemblies take place twice a term and all students who have been nominated for upholding our 4Rs are acknowledged. Each house has one overall winner selected by their Head of House who receives a credit voucher of their choice and a limited-edition House Pin to be worn with pride

·House points are allocated for this

Habits and Values

·This is the newest addition to our celebrations

·Students that were awarded excellence for effort and behaviour across all subjects in their Term 1 reporting were treated to an Ice Cream Bar

·House points are allocated for this

House Challenges

Our Term 2 House Challenges of handball and library games are continuing. Points are awarded on participation numbers. I can report that there is healthy rivalry in both activities.

Points Update Week 6

Staff Spotlight

The Australian Education Awards – Excellence Awardees have just been announced, and our very own Ineke McGuire has been named as an Excellence Awardee for her leadership in sustainability and climate action.

This recognition celebrates Ineke’s tireless efforts outside the classroom – particularly her work in securing our accreditation as a Climate Action School and her instrumental role in establishing our Sustainability Skills Centre. These achievements are placing Shailer Park State High School on the national stage for innovation and environmental leadership.

As part of this honour, Ineke will have the chance to attend the official awards ceremony in Sydney on 8 August – a fantastic opportunity to represent our school and celebrate this milestone.

Student Voice

A message from our House Captains!

Barnes

Hi Shailer Park community!

Our names are Dennis and Kate, the 2025 Barnes House Captains. Our goal is to unite this amazing house and ultimately lead the Barnes Bears to victory this year! Our plan this Term is to work with Miss Tiainen (the Barnes Head of House) to start a handball challenge between Barnes House Care Groups. This is an exciting opportunity to boost house morale and Barnes sprit ahead of Athletics Carnival in Week 10, where we hope to win enough points to overtake Francis in the overall House Cup. We are so excited to lead Barnes and are both looking forward to the opportunities the rest of the year holds for Barnes and our leadership journeys.

Bilin Bilin 

Hello everyone, our names are Zoe and Ronin, and we are the proud House Captains of Bilin Bilin. I’ll admit, we’re not the loudest or the flashiest house, but we’ve got something better: potential. This term, we’re working on showing up more, stepping outside our comfort zones, and proving that we’ve got just as much to offer as any other house. Whether it’s through house events, competitions, or simply supporting each other more, we’re building momentum bit by bit.

No matter where we’re starting from, every step forward counts - and together, we’re moving toward something better, stronger, and worth being proud of.

Francis

Hi everyone, our names are Bride and Preston, and we are the 2025 Francis House Captains. We enjoy encouraging our house to participate in events like the weekly house challenge in handball and board games in the library. It’s a surreal feeling witnessing students of all age groups getting involved, laughing, competing with fierce rivalries, and genuinely enjoying themselves.

Looking forwards, our biggest goal for this term is to maintain the strong lead we’ve built so far. We’ve had a fantastic start with great participation and spirit, and now it’s all about keeping that momentum. 3 peat baby!

Karle

Hi everyone! As the Karle house captains, Aliriza and Callum, we wanted to share a quick message. While other houses might be ahead right now, this isn't the time to lose heart.

Karle House isn’t just a name; it represents resilience, determination and unity. Earning points is as easy as coming to school everyday, nominating your friends for values awards, getting involved in Friday house challenges, making sure your attendance is strong and sign up for the push-up challenge.

And remember, success isn’t just about winning competitions, it’s about striving to be your best self every day (but it would be nice to win). Keep your heads high, give it your all, and let’s finish strong for a stronger start next year. Together, we can turn things around!

3C Priority Update: Classrooms – Effective Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning in Action 

LOVE BiTES Program Junior School

LOVE BiTES Junior is a respectful relationships education program designed for young people aged 11 to 14. It builds essential skills and knowledge to help students develop and maintain respectful relationships.

The program is a suite of three sequential modules that have evolved from the success of the original LOVE BiTES program. Since its inception in 2003, LOVE BiTES has been widely implemented across Australia, with ongoing community feedback highlighting the need for respectful relationship education for younger students.

Each module in LOVE BiTES Junior is scaffolded to progressively build students' understanding and skills. The three programs are designed to be delivered in sequence:

1. #friends (Year 7)
   Focuses on themes such as mindful communication, warning signs of abusive behaviour, power dynamics in relationships, bystander intervention, seeking help, and the responsibilities involved in sharing sexualised images.

2. Respectful Relationships, Bullying and Gender (Year 8)
   Explores respect in relationships, gender roles and stereotypes, jealousy, sexual harassment, homophobia, discrimination, challenging gender stereotypes, and seeking help.

3. Relationships, Love and Control (Year 9)
   Covers topics including gender expectations, responding to jealousy, love versus control, warning signs of controlling or abusive behaviour, supporting friends, seeking help, and breaking up with respect.

Senior Drama Students

This term, our talented Year 11 and 12 Drama students have been working tirelessly on their IA2 (Year 12) and FA2 (Year 11) assessments, known as the Dramatic Concept. These tasks require students to develop and pitch their own original performance concepts, inspired by contemporary issues and anchored in theatrical styles and conventions studied in class.

For our Year 12s, this was an opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of Theatre of Social Comment, exploring powerful and provocative themes such as displacement, social injustice, youth mental health, and identity. Students were challenged to devise a dramatic concept that aimed to provoke audience thought and encourage social change. Each student delivered a sophisticated and compelling vision for a hypothetical performance, complete with justification of their stylistic choices, intended dramatic meaning, and the use of dramatic languages.

Meanwhile, our Year 11s have been focusing on Contemporary Theatre Practices. Their concepts explored humanistic and shared stories/themes through the hybridity of contemporary theatre conventions.

Across both cohorts, students demonstrated exceptional creativity, critical thinking, and a strong understanding of dramatic form. The standard of work submitted was truly inspiring, showcasing a generation of young theatre-makers unafraid to tackle big questions and challenge the world around them.

Congratulations to all of our senior drama students for their commitment and courage in bringing their dramatic visions to life. 

Mr Harreman

Top Study Habits for Year 9 & 10 Students: Build Smart Habits Now for School, Life & Beyond!

If you’ve noticed your current study habits aren’t really working, don’t worry. You’re not alone. We’ve all had to figure out what works best when it comes to study routines. A great place to start is by setting up your own study space. Choose one spot that’s just for study. It could be a desk, a corner in your room, or a quiet family area. Try to avoid places where you usually relax or play games, so your brain knows it’s time to focus. If home is too noisy, think about heading to a local library or a quiet park. Make your space as comfortable as possible. Use a good chair, make sure there’s decent lighting, and keep it tidy. Don’t forget to remove distractions. Close unnecessary tabs on your laptop and put your phone away or on “Do Not Disturb.” The more you use your study zone, the easier it becomes to get into the right mindset!

ATTN: Year 9-12 students & parents whose children are considering a career in medicine.

We would like to remind students who are considering a career in medicine that places in 'The Future Doctors Australia' 2025 program are filling up fast!

The Future Doctors Australia program offers a unique opportunity for school students (ages 14-18) aspiring to pursue a career in medicine. 4-days of high-impact, engaging sessions led by experienced medical specialists, practical learning activities, and insights into the admission process, the program aims to inspire and equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in their medical journey.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to gain valuable insights and guidance from medical professionals who are passionate about shaping the future of healthcare.

Program Details | Fees | Enrolment Form

Photo gallery of previous programs

List of Medical Specialists & Clinical Staff Guest Speakers and Presenters

If you have any questions or need assistance with the enrolment process, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team. We are here to help!

3C Priority Update: Curriculum - Guaranteed and Viable, Data and Differentiation

Curriculum and Policy Updates

Early Departures Add up!

Leaving school early might seem harmless, but frequent early departures can add up—impacting your child’s learning, disrupting lessons, and creating gaps in knowledge.

Did You Know?
Students who miss just one hour a week across a year lose the equivalent of over a week of learning time.

At Shailer Park our lessons are structured to facilitate checking for understanding activities and consolidation activities to support deep learning. Consolidation is the process of reviewing and practising what students have already learned to strengthen their memory and understanding. Without regular review, information is quickly forgotten—especially when students are learning new topics every week. Students who leave classes early miss this critical stage in learning.

What You Can Do at Home:

• Book appointments outside school hours whenever possible.
• Avoid early pickups unless absolutely necessary—especially during assessment periods (Week 6-9).
• Talk with your child about how leaving early affects their ability to consolidate learning and contribute in the classroom.
• Help your child revisit key concepts through short discussions, quizzes, or practice tasks. This can significantly boost their long-term success!

Need Help?
If your family is experiencing challenges affecting attendance, please contact a Head of House or Student Advisor.

Uniform: More Than Just Clothes

Wearing the correct school uniform sets students up for success. It promotes equality, reduces distractions, and helps create a sense of belonging. Uniforms support young people to create routines and readiness to Learn: Uniforms create a clear boundary between home and school life, helping students mentally prepare for learning and develop healthy routines associated with success (Queensland Department of Education, 2021).

Did You Know?
According to Good360 Australia, 1 in 3 families have faced challenges affording school uniforms. This is something we understand and support.

How You Can Support at Home:

• Help your child prepare their uniform the night before to reduce morning stress.
• Label all items to avoid lost property drama.
• Reach out early if uniform costs are a concern—we can help confidentially.

Support Available:

1. Student Services has a full complement of uniforms in a wide range of sizes that can be loaned to students who do not have the correct uniform. Students can present at Student Services before school to access uniform support without consequence.
2. Parents and students can access additional support around uniforms through a Head of House or Kim Johnson the Youth Support Coordinator.

Missed Assessments? Missed Opportunities!

Assessment is how we measure learning—it is more than a grade on a report card. Completing assessments is essential because it provides clear evidence of your child’s learning and progress over time. Teachers use this information to identify strengths and areas for improvement, which helps tailor future lessons to meet individual needs. Without assessment data, it’s harder to personalise learning or address gaps—potentially affecting your child’s engagement and confidence. Report card results also form part of a student’s learning profile, which can influence future opportunities in employment, training, and further education. Supporting your child to submit assessments on time builds habits of responsibility and persistence that last well beyond school.

Did You Know?
Students with strong assessment literacy—that is, understanding what is being assessed and why—are more likely to set learning goals, stay motivated, and improve their results. In fact, research shows that when students are aware of success criteria, their academic performance can improve by up to 30% (Hattie, 2012). Parents play a key role by helping their child understand task instructions, rubrics, and teacher feedback.

How You Can Help at Home:

• Help your child track deadlines using calendars or apps. Weeks 6-9 are assessment heavy. Scheduling regular time to work on assessments will help build good habits.
• Ask questions about schoolwork and show interest in their learning.
• Let us know early if your child is overwhelmed—we can help with AARAs or support.

Support Services:
Visit https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/parent-information/ for more about how to support your child and their learning or speak to your child’s classroom teacher if you think your child requires support coming up to assessment time. Staff contact details can be found here https://shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au/our-school/our-staff

Bright Spots - The Shailer Way in Practice

We love to acknowledge and celebrate achievement at Shailer Park State High School, particularly when our students “make their mark!” Some wonderful Bright Spots in 2025 are seen below. Follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for regular celebrations of our staff and students.

Student Spotlight

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How to Get in Touch

At Shailer Park State High School, we believe in the power of partnerships with our community to achieve "Excellence in Learning and Life." Collaborating with parents and families is vital to enhancing educational outcomes for our students. We recognise that each family has unique needs, and our approach to engagement is flexible and responsive to individual circumstances.

General Enquires - Phone (07) 3451 2777 or email office@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au

Absences, Late Arrivals & Early Departures - Phone (07) 3451 2745 or email studentabsences@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au

Finance Enquires - Phone (07) 3451 2703 or email finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au

Enrolment Enquires - Phone (07) 3451 2720 or email enrolments@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au