8 September 2025

PRINCIPAL’S ADDRESS

Greenspace is open!

Monday this week saw the opening of the Greenspace project on the site where the old manual arts building was. Watching our students wander through the area, find their spots, connect with their mates and generally hang out was a great way to usher in this new area. It has brought a different perspective to the middle of our school, and I thank the work of our Business Manager, Nadine Crawford, for overseeing this new project. It is a wonderful space!

Attendance at school in week 10

Learning in our classrooms and our teaching spaces does not end this week, it continues until the end of week 10. Our teachers have planned for 10 weeks, learning will continue, and we need our students in classes until the last day of term. Over the course of this week, your child’s teachers will speak to them about the learning planned for week 10. It is important that they are here to access this learning.

Student Free Day today aligned to AIP focus

Friday September 5, saw our students have a day off, with our staff engaging in a day of professional development. One of our critical focus areas this year relates to quality teaching practices, pedagogical approaches. Friday was spent refining our understanding, challenging long held practices and reinforcing expected teaching approaches at Gladstone State High School. Our goal is simple; continue to support the development of a suite of approaches and pedagogies, that ensure that our students get the best opportunities to engage in their classrooms. I could not be more impressed with the way our staff engaged with the opportunities provided.

Mock Exams

In week 10 this term, our Year 12 students will engage in mock exams. These exams will run through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and will provide our students exposure to similar assessment styles and processes that will make up their final external exams in Term 4. This opportunity is incredibly important, and we ask our parents to support us by ensuring they attend the mock exams as required.

Attendance Monopoly – draw this Friday

The second round of this term’s Attendance Monopoly draw takes place this Friday. Through daily attendance, students place accrued tokens into different draws, hoping to win the prize connected to that draw. The prizes are many and varied, with the major prize this week being a PS5 gaming console! As expected, this is generating huge interest.

Positive Behaviour for Learning - PBL Focus

This fortnight’s focus is linked to the opening of our new facilities and general equipment upgrades:

“Keep our grounds clean, tidy and undamaged”

We have provided key information to our students around expectation in our new greenspace area as well as around the school in general. This focus links to those expectations.

Mr Garry Goltz
Principal
Gladstone State High School

SPORTING WHEELIES NEWS

On Thursday, 21st August 2025, our school had the pleasure of hosting the Sporting Wheelies “Raising the Bar” team for a day full of energy, learning, and inspiration. Davin “Bear” Bretherton and Elvira Welboren led a series of hands-on wheelchair basketball sessions that gave students a chance to step outside their comfort zones and experience sport from a new perspective.

Throughout the day, students threw themselves into the challenge, discovering the strength, skill, and teamwork involved in wheelchair basketball. The sessions sparked curiosity and conversation, helping to build empathy and a deeper appreciation for inclusive sport.

In a thoughtful and engaging Q&A session, Davin and Elvira shared their personal experiences of living with a disability. Their openness encouraged students to reflect, ask questions, and see ability in a different light.

Davin “Bear” Bretherton, a seasoned athlete, has represented Queensland in the National Wheelchair Basketball League and played internationally. His achievements on the court—and his work as a role model in the disability sports community has left a lasting impression on our staff and students alike.

We thank Davin and Elvira for bringing their message of resilience and inclusion, and the positivity that they shared with our school community. We hope to welcome them back again soon!

SPORTS NEWS

SENIOR SCHOOLING NEWS

Technical College Applications

We are excited to announce that applications are now open for the Year 11 Technical College Program 2026. This senior pathway is designed for students who are keen to pursue a vocational trade pathway while still working towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE).

About the Program

• Year 11:
  Students will study a set program of subjects to stay on track for their QCE while also attending a Vocational Certificate course with an external RTO (applied for through their SET Plan at their current school). This course will run on Tuesdays, ensuring students do not miss out on regular school classes.
  Work Experience is built into the program, with students completing each term 5-day placements across the year at host companies aligned with their chosen pathway.
• Year 12:
  Students continue with the Work Experience structure but resume a 5-day school timetable, completing a school-based certificate course rather than an external RTO program.

Who Are We Looking For?

Students who are:

• Keen to complete a trade pathway
• Able to follow instructions clearly
• Team players with strong communication skills
• Detail-oriented, good problem solvers, and eager to learn

Application Details

🗓 Applications open: Tuesday 2nd September 2025
🗓 Applications close: Thursday 18th September 2025 (Term 3)

✅ How to apply:

• Complete the application form in full (incomplete submissions will not be considered). Application form available on the Gladstone State High School website or by clicking on the link below
  

• Submit via:
• Email: Seniorschooling@gladstonshs.eq.edu.au
• In person: HOD VET/Pathways, Technical College, Boles Street, Gladstone QLD 4680
• Contact: 4976 6178 for enquiries

DOORWAYS 2 CIVIL CONSTRUCTION (D2CC) 2026

The D2CC program teaches students to respect power tools and use them in a correct and safe manner. The course is broadly structured around the Civil Construction Industry. Each student will be given one week of work experience in either the metal or wood trade.

Students will gain experience in using: 18-volt drills, 18-volt circular saw, 18-volt planer, 240-volt router cutting around a template and a 240-volt compound slide saw with the blade plumbed to the cutting table and at 90 degrees to the back fence.

The program is open to all students who will be in Year 10 in 2026 and is available to students from GSHS, TSHS, TSSHS, MVSS, CSHS and MLSS. The duration of each course is one (1) semester with 12 places available and two courses are run per year. The course will be facilitated at McCosker Contracting Pty. Ltd, 19 Morgan Street, Gladstone on Thursdays commencing at 7.50am to 3.00pm.

The cost of the program is $200.00 per student which includes their Senior First Aid Course.

Application forms can be collected from Senior Schooling at the Technical College and must be returned to Senior Schooling by the 17^th of September 2025.

Work Experience Applications

White Card Courses

GUIDANCE OFFICER NEWS

In Week 4 this term our Year 9 students participated in the Love Bites Program.  Love Bites is a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people aged 15-17 years. It consists of two interactive workshops: one on Relationship Violence, and one on Sex and Relationships, followed by creative workshops. One important issue that is discussed in Love Bites is sexual consent. The following information provided by The Raising Children Network includes information on this important topic that may assist parents/carers to help their children understand sexual consent.

About consent and sexual consent

Consent is agreeing to something or giving permission for something.

Sexual consent is agreeing to take part in sexual activity. Consent is when all people involved:

• can choose freely to take part
• can clearly and enthusiastically say they want to take part
• can change their minds at any time and have this decision respected
• are awake, conscious and rational
• understand what kind of activity they’re agreeing to
• are over the legal age for sexual consent.

Sexual consent is essential for:

• kissing someone or touching any part of their body sexually
• having vaginal, anal or oral sex
• sending sexual messages or images
• not using condoms or other contraception.

Sexual consent is essential regardless of gender identity or sexual identity.

Talking about consent with children and teenagers: why it’s important

When your child knows about getting and giving consent, they’re more likely to have healthy, respectful, safe and enjoyable sexual experiences when they’re ready for them.

Early talks when children are young lay the groundwork for open and direct conversations as children get older. For your younger child, you can introduce ideas about consent without relating it to sex. And as your child gets older, you can start talking more openly and directly about sexual consent.

These conversations send the message that your child can come to you for reliable, non-judgmental information about sex. And this is good for your child’s sexual development and relationships.

Once you’ve started talking about consent with your child, you might find talking gets easier the more you do it.

Tips for talking about consent with children and teenagers

No matter how old your child is, these strategies can help you talk about tough topics and have difficult conversations.

1. Have small talks when you get the chance
   ‘Big talks’ about things like consent can be tricky, so it’s often best to make the most of opportunities when they come up. For example, there might be a scene in a book, TV show or movie that you can use to spark a conversation about consent. If your child doesn’t want to talk about it, you can say you’d like a quick chat anyway.
2. Find out what your child knows or thinks
   Open-ended questions can help you do this. For example, ‘What do you think about Prince Charming kissing Sleeping Beauty while she’s asleep?’ or ‘What do you think about the way Han Solo backs Princess Leia into a corner and kisses her?’
3. Correct misinformation and explain things
   It’s important to use language and examples your child can understand.
   For younger children, your explanation can be about personal boundaries. For example, ‘It’s your body so you can decide who hugs, kisses or tickles you. You can say no if you feel uncomfortable or scared’.
   For older children and teenagers, you can be more explicit about sexual consent. For example, ‘You can’t assume someone has given consent for sex, even if you’re in a relationship. It’s always important to ask before sexual activity and keep checking during it’.
4. Check whether your child has questions
   If your child has questions and you don’t know what to say, tell your child you’re glad they asked, that you don’t know the answer, and that you’ll look for some information and get back to them. And then make sure you do get back to your child.

Being direct about consent: teenagers

At this age, your teenage child needs to know how to give and get sexual consent.

You can keep using everyday moments or examples from TV shows, movies, books and media stories to get conversations started. But your conversations can focus directly on consent now. For example:

• ‘I liked the way he accepted her decision when she changed her mind about having sex. Why is that important?’
• ‘Does that person look comfortable being touched?’
• ‘I never saw the character ask for consent. How would a person have asked for consent?’
• ‘Do you think the character was able to give proper consent if they were drunk?’

You could also use online resources to get your child thinking and talking about consent. For example, Planned Parenthood – How Do You Know if Someone Wants to Have Sex with You? is a video featuring diverse couples and frank language.

SOCIAL WORKER NEWS

Tuning into Teens Term 4

You are invited to join a parenting program that aims to help you, and your adolescent manage the many emotional challenges of this stage of life.  The program will teach you how to manage your emotions and your adolescents to help you both to remain close and keep communication channels open.  By learning new skills, you are less likely to have as much conflict within your family and your teen is more likely to talk to you about the challenging issues they face.  These are factors that have been found to reduce the risk of mental health and substance abuse problems.

This group is also available to parents who have a young person transitioning to GSHS in 2026. 

POSITIONS VACANT

Tuckshop Volunteers

We are also on the lookout for volunteers to help in the tuckshop.   If you have some spare time to give, please email your information through along with a cover letter to Fee who is our tuckshop convenor at fmood2@eq.edu.au.  You will need to have a current Blue Card or be willing to apply for one before you start.

QPARENTS

NURSE PRACTITIONER NEWS

BREAKFAST CLUB

TUCKSHOP NEWS

Tuckshop only accepts preorders for 1^st and 2^nd break via the QKR app only.

UNIFORM SHOP

Uniform Shop Hours

SWOOPING BIRD SEASON

Some native bird species, including magpies, plovers, butcherbirds, and crows, are well known to swoop during the spring breeding season. Swooping may occur from July to November, peaking between August and October. When native bird species have eggs or young in their nest, a small percentage can become protective and may swoop people entering their nesting territory. Research suggests aggressive swooping occurs when the birds have had previous negative interactions with humans, for example, had stones or sticks thrown at them, their chicks, or their nests.

Some ways to manage swooping bird interactions during the breeding season are to:

• Avoid swooping hotspots and find an alternative route by consulting the ‘Gladstone Regional Council Swooping bird hotspot web map’ (https://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/wildlife) Or https://www.magpiealert.com/
• Ensure children wear appropriate headwear (helmets, hats, umbrellas), eyewear (glasses, sunglasses) and clothing to help protect them from unwanted swooping risks.  
• Ensure children avoid threatening or scaring nesting birds, as this will increase the intensity of swooping.
• For more information about swooping birds and tips to avoid being swooped, a ‘Living with Magpies’ fact sheet and an interactive swooping bird hotspot map, jump on Council’s website https://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/wildlife#swooping.

Additionally, Council manages swooping birds by providing community awareness and information, undertaking swooping bird assessments, and implementing an appropriate response on Council-controlled land. If your establishment has a problem with a swooping bird, you may contact a licensed wildlife contractor to assess the bird for relocation. Please note that Council is unable to respond to swooping bird complaints on private or state-controlled land.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further, please contact the Environment & Conservation team on 07 4970 0700.

TERM 3 CALENDAR

TERM 4 CALENDAR

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS