8 August 2025

PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS

School Opinion Surveys

Please check your emails for correspondence from the Department of Education with your opportunity to provide us with your perspective.

Your opinion matters! We value the opinions of our parents and appreciate that a number of our parents have already completed the School Opinion Survey. Our goal is to have over 300 of our parents provide their opinion through the School Opinion Survey process. We are on our way but need your support to make this target.

Year 8 and 11 students have been selected by the department to provide their views through the survey, with currently over half already providing their views. Times have been set up for these to be completed during lesson time.

We value all of our parents’ perspective and would ask that parents provide their support by completing the School Opinion Survey.

Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) Update

During this term, we will continue to focus on:

• our walkthrough processes, looking at key school processes and expectations.
• providing targeted teacher feedback through classroom observations.
• building understanding of matching the most appropriate pedagogical approaches (teaching strategies) to the learner (the students in the class) and the learning (the actual information being taught).

As a school, Gladstone State High School will continue to look for ways to best engage our students using the most appropriate approaches for each of our students. In addition, the standards that we expect across our school will be maintained, to provide an environment for our students to feel safe, supported and in the best position to learn.

Attendance Monopoly

Our trial of Attendance Monopoly last year was an overwhelming success. Our team leading this initiative have identified this term as the perfect time to reprise this initiative. Our students will receive ‘tokens’ in Care Classes and on Parades each week that will enable them to go into different draws. Each draw will have an identified prize connected to it. These will vary from school-based rewards right through to external rewards.

I need to recognise and thank the team leading this initiative again this year, looking at creative ways to engage our students really is the State High Difference.

Subject selection information nights

We recently held our Year 9 into 10 and our Year 10 into 11 information night. It is always pleasing to see our parents and students speaking with representatives from our different curriculum areas, as well as training organisations and our guidance officer team. These nights provide a wonderful opportunity for parents and students to consider their next steps and their future direction. We thank our parents and students for attending as well as our staff that attended to support this process.

Parent teacher interviews

Last Tuesday night we held our parent teacher interviews. Over 200 families attended. I wish to thank our parents for their attendance. Your active involvement plays a crucial role in your child's educational progress and success. These meetings allow us to collaborate closely, ensuring that we provide the best possible support and guidance tailored to your child's needs. Your insights, questions, and feedback are invaluable, helping us to understand and address any concerns in a productive and proactive manner.  When partnerships between home and school are successful, together we create a supportive and enriching environment that fosters growth and success for your child.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Focus

• Carry my ‘Out of Class Pass’ or signed planner with me when out of class.

Given the importance of our students being in class as often as possible, we are reinforcing the same PBL Focus for this fortnight period. Essentially by ensuring that students that are actually out of class are out for the right reasons (hence the need for a note or a signed planner), it enables us to better work with those that do not have permission.

Mr Garry Goltz
Principal
Gladstone State High School

SCHOOL OPINION SURVEY

This year’s School Opinion Survey runs from 28 July to 22 August. Parents, carers, students in selected year levels, and staff have been emailed a link to participate. Your feedback will help us understand our school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Survey responses are confidential. Find out more on the School Opinion Survey webpage or contact school administration.

YEAR 7 2026 NEWS

SPORTS NEWS

GUIDANCE OFFICER NEWS

CQUniversity Open Day Gladstone

Help your children take control of their future at CQU’s Gladstone Open Day. Connect with CQU's teaching staff, discover our huge range of TAFE and university courses, and learn more about CQU’s outstanding range of student support services.

Register online and you’ll be kept up to date with the latest event info and you’ll automatically enter the draw to WIN one of three prizes: Macbook Air M2, Apple Watch SE or Apple AirPods ANC.*

*Terms and conditions apply. Available at cqu.edu.au/competitions.

YOUTH HEALTH NURSE NEWS

Over the last few weeks, many students have been struggling with having KIND, Healthy, Respectful Relationships.  This topic is generally covered from Primary School through High School and into adulthood, yet some find it difficult to put KINDNESS, RESPECT, PATIENCE, TOLERANCE and FRIENDLINESS into practice!

It is always good to re-visit the topic of friendships and relationships, so we can all have a little brush up and look at our own personal and school relationships to scrutinise the way they affect us and others.

Relationships with friends, family, teachers and fellow students are the foundation of our existence. They can be enjoyable, fulfilling, exciting, supportive, challenging and most of all FUN. Bringing together different cultures, experiences, values, beliefs and opinions can have a profound, positive effect on our lives. However, sometimes miscommunication, misunderstanding, assumptions and disagreements can cause relationship conflict and breakdown.

This can lead to TIT for TAT where someone insults you, so you decide to insult them back. They say something unpleasant to you, so you intentionally do or say something unpleasant to pay them back!

Here are a few things that make up healthy versus unhealthy relationships and friendships:

It is important to understand that WE are responsible for ourselves, our communication skills and we own our actions. 

We need to acknowledge we cannot change someone else, we can only change ourselves.

Being mindful, stopping and reflecting, is the first step in identifying what type of relationship we are in, a time to ask:

What are my actions?  What are my reactions?

What words come out of my mouth?  Am I communicating effectively?

Is this how I would want to be treated?  Is this who I want to be?

Sometimes advice from someone you trust at home or school can make things a little clearer.

Our School has an amazing support team of Guidance Officers, School Nurse, Police Officer, Social Worker, Wellbeing Hub Staff, trusted Teachers, HOYs, HODs and Deputy Principals.

There are also lots of places you can seek help if you find yourself in an unhealthy relationship or friendship and are unsure what to do:

WOMENS HEALTH- 4979 1456
KIDS HELPLINE- 1800 55 1800
HEADSPACE GLADSTONE- 4903 1921
GLADSTONE HOSPITAL EMERGENCY- 4976 3200
LIFELINE- 13 11 14
GLADSTONE MENTAL HEALTH/CHILD MENTAL HEALTH- 4976 3244

Make it your mission today and Be KIND!   

Yours in Health
Susan Buckeridge
School Based Youth Health Nurse
Mount Larcom State School Mondays 8.15am-2pm
Gladstone State High School Tue, Wed, Thu 8am-2.30pm

E-BIKE & E-SCOOTER NEWS

As part of Queensland Road Safety Week this year, the Department of Transport and Main Roads will be putting more focus into education around E-Scooters and E-Bikes.

Please see documents below for more information regarding the laws and regulations around E-scooters and E-bikes.

QPARENTS

TONKA NEWS

NURSE PRACTITIONER NEWS

BREAKFAST CLUB

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Please note that as of week 7 this term, the tuckshop will only accept preorders for 1^st and 2^nd break via the QKR app only.

UNIFORM SHOP

Uniform Shop Hours

TERM 3 CALENDAR

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS