1 Aug 2025

A Message from Our Principal

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

NAIDOC Week Celebrations

On Tuesday, we proudly celebrated NAIDOC 2025 with an assembly welcoming some special guests.  This year marks the 50-year anniversary of NAIDOC week with this year's theme of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.”  

Our students and staff were lucky enough to have the Loganlea State High School Knowledge House Dance Group perform traditional dance, while the story of the dance was also shared.  They invited crowd participation with students and staff learning some of the dance moves, then performing them in front of us all.  Thank you very much Loganlea State High School Knowledge House Dance Group.

We also welcomed Brenda Matthews to share her journey with our school.  In 2023 we started with the dream of raising funds to create a Yarning Circle at our school.  We held a fundraiser last year with a screening of The Last Daughter in 2024.  Brenda’s journey from being part of the stolen generation to becoming an Author, speaker, Film Director and Indigenous Director of Learning Circle Australia is an inspiring testament to the power of healing and reconciliation.  We would like to Thank Brenda Matthews very much for coming to our school and sharing her journey with us.

Following the assembly, we invited our special guests to the opening of our Yarning Circle at Shailer Park State High School.  A space created with respect, care and connection at its heart.

It is more than just a physical space.  It is a space for connection, respect and shared understanding.  A place where every voice is valued, where stories can be shared and where we can continue to learn from one another.

The building of our Yarning Circle was made possible by many people, working together including, staff, students, community and families. Working closely with our partners Gunya Meta Inc. we were able to come together and design our Yarning Circle. 

We would like to thank everyone who contributed to bringing this meaningful project to life – your support has helped create something truly special.

On Thursday students had the incredible opportunity to take part in an artefacts and tools session led by Caleb from Yangga Art.

With deep cultural knowledge and engaging storytelling, Caleb guided students through a hands-on exploration of traditional tools, weapons, and materials used by Aboriginal people across generations. Students learned about the purpose and making of each item, how they connect to Country, and the cultural values behind them. The session sparked curiosity, respect, and pride – offering a powerful reminder that culture is living, evolving, and something we can all learn from and celebrate.

On Friday the Year 8 HPE classes, a select group of year 12 Social and Community Studies students and a handful of students from across the school who elected to attend the session spent sone time with Tyrone Bean learning about life and culture through the sharing of Tyrone’s experiences. 

Tyrone Bean is a proud Kabi Kabi, Wakka Wakka & Bindal Educator, Mentor & Athlete who brings over a decade of experience delivering cultural insight and awareness workshops in schools, institutions, and community groups. He is passionate about "walking in two worlds," empowering students to understand First Nations history, identity, and cultural connection within contemporary Australian education.

Tyrones achievements and accolades include:

• Bachelor of Arts (Criminology & Sociology), a Master of Teaching (Secondary), and an MBA from the University of Queensland,
• Featured in Celia Moriarty's Keys to Our Country portrait series,
• Founded and mentored the "Raise the Bar" academy and introduced AIME mentoring at Yiramalay Studio School,
• Active mentor in the AlS "Share a Yarn" program,
• Played elite-level AFL and VFL, represented Victoria Metro and Flying Boomerangs (Under-16s), and continued in VAFA, including Big V representation in Ireland,
• Played cricket in elite pathways, represented Queensland's Indigenous squad, and participated in tournaments like the Koori Knockout,
• 2022 GMA Community Impact Award Winner for his dedication to education and community,
• 2023 Triple A Community Ball Education Award recipient for outstanding contributions to cultural education.

Tyrone's unique blend of lived cultural experience, academic achievement, sporting resilience, and mentoring success makes him an inspiring role model for students.

As part of wrapping up our NAIDOC Week celebrations, our school came together today for a special BBQ lunch featuring both kangaroo and beef sausages! 

It was a great opportunity to gather as a community, enjoy some delicious food, and reflect on the importance of this week, celebrating the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Big thanks to everyone who helped cook, serve, and organise the day. What a deadly way to share culture and connection!

Internal Assessment (IA) Results

Congratulations to our Year 12 General students who achieved full marks on their internal assessments!General subject students complete three school-based assessments before sitting their external exams in Term 4. These results are verified through a rigorous state-wide confirmation process conducted throughout the year.Well done to both our dedicated students and the teachers supporting them!

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 9

Next

3C Priority Update: Classrooms – Effective Teaching and Learning

Teaching and Learning in Action

A warm welcome to all new families joining the Shailer Park State High School community this term. We are excited to partner with you as we continue to support every student’s learning journey and celebrate their successes.

Junior Certificate of Education (JCE)
This term saw the launch of our Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) for Year 8 students. The JCE recognises academic achievement, effort, and growth as students prepare for senior schooling. Parents are encouraged to engage in conversations with their child about the JCE process. Information has been emailed to all families and is also available in the student QLearn course for easy reference at home.

Education and Career Planning (ECP)
Preparations for Education and Career Planning (ECP) Day in Week 5 are well underway. We encourage parents to regularly check emails for updates on how to support their child at home.

• Year 8: Subject preference forms will be issued in RISE next week.
• Year 9: Students will be able to enter their subject preferences into OneSchool from next week.

Parents are encouraged to read the 2026 Subject Handbook to help guide their child in making subject selections that best support their strengths, interests, and future pathways.

Year 9 Big Day Out

At the beginning of the term, Year 9 students enjoyed their Big Day Out excursion — a fantastic opportunity to continue developing the 4Rs, celebrate achievements, strengthen friendships, and share a memorable experience before stepping into their senior phase of learning next year. From building shelters in the bush to challenging each other in Gaga Ball (a fast-paced, lower-body dodgeball game), every activity promoted teamwork, resilience, and plenty of laughter. Students also embraced the thrill of bushwalking, tested their aim in archery, and soared through the treetops over the lake on the exhilarating flying fox zip line. It was a wonderful chance to connect with peers in a new environment and create lasting memories.

A big thank you to Mr Hurren for organising this memorable event, and to all staff who attended to support the day. We look forward to a rewarding term ahead as we work together to support each student’s growth.

Japanese Study Tour 

This week, we have warmly welcomed a Study Tour group of staff and students from Fuse High School, Japan.

The week began with a Welcome tour led by our Japanese teacher Mr Haverd and our Principal Ms Herbert, followed by introductions to school staff and a buddy meet-and-greet session. Over the next few days our guests from Fuse High School have participated in a range of activities, including specialist English lessons, a Drama lesson with Ms Timms and an Art class with Mrs Willshire. On Friday, our guests have enjoyed a special excursion day, offering a fun break from regular classes.

Throughout the week, Fuse High School students have been supported by their Shailer Park High School buddies. These buddies have helped our visiting students to navigate the school campus and to feel a part of our school community. The Study Tour will conclude with a farewell BBQ on Tuesday 5^th August, hosted by our Principal Ms Herbert, Ms Leathwaite (Languages HOD) and Mr Haverd (Japanese teacher). A huge thank you to all who have contributed to making this Study Tour a lifelong memory for our visiting guests.

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

ECP Day Update

Thank you to the many families who have already booked their ECP Day interview. As of today, over 65% of students have a confirmed ECP Day booking. All students are actively preparing themselves.

If you have not yet booked your child’s ECP Day interview or have any difficulty in doing so, please call Morgan on 3451 2777 for assistance. Morgan will quickly guide you through these steps or even make the booking for you!

Preparing for ECP Day success: How RISE teachers are preparing students for their interviews

As our ECP Day interviews approach, our RISE teachers have been equipping students with the tools and confidence to make this interview truly their own, by focusing on their progress, their goals, and their future aspirations.

This work has been occurring for several weeks and has involved a few key learning activities:

1. Academic Review - A Semester 1 Snapshot

Students begin with a holistic review of their Semester 1 achievements as summarised in their TrackEd Profile. They reflect on their growth using prompts in their ECP Learning Journals, considering what’s going well and what the next steps might be.

2. Academic Review - A Deep-dive across subjects

In response to parent and student feedback requesting more subject-specific feedback, we’ve introduced a NEW academic review for 2025. These subject-specific statements have been personalised for each subject in Years 7–11 have collaboratively created subject statements by our classroom teachers. In essence, these subject specific statements:

· contain targeted feedback on student strengths and areas for improvement and

· identify practical strategies students can use to improve their outcomes in the units of work and assessment items that they are currently doing.

We believe that by grounding these reflections and discussions in each student’s academic progress, we give students a strong foundation for the student led interview by helping students understand not just “how they’re doing,” but “how they can do even better.”

3. Student-led Interview: Making It All About You!

The next key learning activity that RISE teachers have done to prepare students for the student-led interview is to model and guide students about what should occur in their interviews.

Firstly, students have watched an exemplar video to see a polished interview in action. We have made these interviews using our own staff and students and have modelled one for each year level. They are a piece of art! I encourage parents / carers to ask your child what they learnt from the ECP Day videos.

Secondly, students begin drafting their Interview Talking Points, thinking about how to present their learning journey and set goals moving forward.

Lastly, students are guided through the year-level specific aspects that need to be covered through their interview.

This includes Year 7s can discuss their transition into high school, Year 8s can discuss the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE), Year 9 & 10s prepare their proposed JET Plans and SET Plans, Year 11s begin thinking about their overall progress and possible ATAR predictions and Year 12s review their External Exam schedule, discuss QTAC processes and solidify post-schooling destinations.

As you can see, the ECP Day interviews are highly valuable conversations that provide a unique opportunity for students to highlight their own voice, reflections, and ambitions.

Why This Matters

Our structured approach to Education and Career Planning (ECP) aims to put students in the driver’s seat of these processes.

Students take ownership of their story, choosing what’s important to share. They connect past achievement to future goals, weaving a coherent narrative. They receive both holistic and subject-specific feedback, helping develop targeted improvement strategies.

This year’s enhancements—especially the deep-dive per-subject feedback—are a collaborative, thoughtful effort by our teaching staff. We are excited by what this means for student growth, ownership, and readiness to step confidently into their next steps.

We look forward to seeing students shine during ECP Day and beyond!

To strengthen communication and support around student attendance, the school is introducing a new reporting process for parents. At key points during each term, families will receive a Student Attendance Traffic Light via email. This simple, colour-coded summary will help you understand your child’s attendance patterns:

• 🟢 Green – Attendance is on track and meeting school targets.
• 🟡 Yellow – Attendance needs attention; it is trending downwards or showing signs of concern.
• 🔴 Red – Attendance is significantly below state and school targets and requires support and intervention.

This proactive approach is designed to keep parents informed and involved in supporting consistent school attendance. You will receive the TrackEd Attendance Profile by email next week. Please view this in conjunction with the Unexplained Absence Report emailed weekly. If you have concerns about your child’s attendance or require support to improve their current attendance, please contact your child’s Head of House or the Attendance Officer.

Finance Update

Statements for the 2025 school year will be sent out on Monday 4 August 2025.

If you have a credit on your statement and wish to have it applied, please email finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au to request this. Credits can be applied for the 2025 Year 12 Formal.

Please note, credits cannot be applied without the written financial consent of the parent or carer. Where written financial consent is not received, the credit will remain on the statement.

To discuss an individualised payment plan, please contact finance@shailerparkshs.eq.edu.au for support.

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

How to Get in Touch

Resources for Parents & Families

Lost Property Reminder!
We have a growing collection of lost property items waiting to be claimed! These include multiple pairs of reading glasses (some in cases), Apple pens, jewellery, watches, keys, AirPods, an insulin pack, school and plain jumpers, jackets, lunch boxes, and water bottles.

Please remind your child to check the lost property area.
High-value items are stored safely at Student Services and must be clearly identified for collection.

Meet Our New Youth Worker Tammy!
We're thrilled to welcome our newest team member, who will be joining us every Tuesday and Wednesday! With over 10 years of experience running an art studio and delivering art classes and art therapy to young people, she brings creativity, passion, and heart to her work. 

She loves painting, horror movies, and music — and she's excited to support the amazing students of Shailer Park High School on their educational journey!

Wellbeing Workforce, Guidance Officer - Mandy Ross

Kids Helpline - My Circle My Circle is a free, private, safe and confidential social platform for 12 -25 year olds across Australia.  My Circle is a collaboration of support from Kids Helpline, BUPA Foundation and University of Sydney.

My Circle allows young people talk to other young people about what they may be going through, challenges and what they are feeling.  It is peer to peer therapy, with Kids Helpline Counsellors always online and in the room to monitor the conversations.

Joining My Circle is FREEand from there, young people find smaller circles to join depending on what they want to talk about.  Young people can join more than one smaller circle to meet their different needs.  

After sign up, young people choose from the topics below to join a smaller circle, which is a chat room that has counsellors present, to engage, support, redirect or end group conversations if required.   

There is always a Kids Helpline Counsellor in the chat room. Young people are assigned to chat rooms based on their topic areas and age brackets.  The interest and sign up for My Circle is great, with 600 young people signing up each day.

Topics to choose from:

• Mental Health
• Neurodivergence
• Bullying & Harassment
• Disability, Illness & Physical Health
• LGBTIQAP+
• School & Work
• Substance Use & Other Addictions
• Suicidal Thoughts & Self-Harm
• Bullying & Harassment
• The Vibezzz
• eSafety & Social Media
• Family Relationships
• Friendships
• Getting Help & Resources
• Dating & Sex
• Body & Self-Esteem

More information can be found  https://kidshelpline.com.au/my-circle

Sign up here https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/humhub/index.php?r=user%2Fauth%2Flogin

Is My Circle safe for young people to use?  Visit here https://kidshelpline.com.au/my-circle for responses to this frequent and valid question from parents and carers.

My Circle can be accessed from a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. 

I hope you and the young people in your care, find the platform helpful and I’d love to hear feedback about your experiences with it,

Level Up Brisbane 2025 Information

We’re inviting your students to Level Up Brisbane 2025—a free, interactive event designed to inspire the next generation of tech, gaming, and digital professionals! 🚀

Last year, thousands of students at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre discovered exciting career pathways, got hands-on with cutting-edge technology, and connected with industry leaders from gaming, coding, cybersecurity, creative arts, and beyond. See the excitement for yourself!

Why Should Your Students Attend?

 This is not just a career expo—it’s a dynamic, hands-on experience where students can:

 🎮 Explore the latest gaming, coding & digital technology
🚀 Discover career opportunities in STEM, cybersecurity, esports & creative industries
🎤 Attend inspiring seminars led by top industry professionals
🤝 Network with potential mentors, employers & universities
💥 Compete & connect in exciting Esports tournaments & interactive showcases

 Event Details

🗓 Date: Friday, 7th November 2025
📍 Location: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
🎟 Cost: FREE for registered schools and students