Grade 10 - Maria Island Camp 

54 of our Grade 10 students made the trek to Maria Island last week for three days of personal challenges in a new environment. The students had many opportunities to learn and work in a different way and the experience was overwhelmingly positive. A big thank you to the staff who organised and led this opportunity. More great memories created for our young people and staff. 

Grade 8 - Port Arthur Camp

We start next term with a similar opportunity for our
Grade 8 students as they head south to Port Arthur for another opportunity to learn and develop skills outside the regular classroom. The team have a very active and challenging agenda prepared. I look forward to hearing about the trip and the opportunities for personal growth our students have experienced. These outdoor education opportunities help support the development of the work we are focused on this year in our school priority area of connection and belonging. 

MND Big Freeze

Friday will see 17 brave staff and students involved in our
Big Freeze in support of Archie and Fight MND. Thank you to all staff and students involved for this extremely worthwhile cause. Big shout out to Archie as he continues his fantastic legacy of supporting others through his ongoing volunteer work in this space! 

Netball 

Last week saw our Junior and Senior, boys and girls teams compete in the Northern Netball Championships at the Silverdome. Our teams played with great enthusiasm and with a real sense of pride representing Queechy over these four days. A highlight for us this year was both the Junior and Senior boys’ teams winning their respective titles, going through undefeated in the round robin stages for a very positive tournament. 
Both teams will now be heading off to the state titles in November in Hobart and we wish them the best for this competition. Thanks to Lily Spencer and Jocelyn McKay for your expert coaching of our teams, well done! 

Grade 6 Transition

Last Wednesday saw our prospective Grade 7 students attend for another experience here in preparation for 2026. The day provided an opportunity for our primary students to become more familiar with the Queechy site, start to make new friends and decrease anxiety as they transition into our school next year. We also welcomed many parents to our school at two parent information sessions. Lots of positive feedback from these opportunities. Thank you to the teams involved in these successful transition events and to the parents who attended our sessions.  

Smith Family Partnership 

We have had a long-term partnership with The Smith Family at Queechy and I am pleased to announce that our close support will be extended for an additional year in 2026. We are extremely grateful for the support The Smith Family provide to our students and staff. The Smith Family works alongside Queechy to ensure every child has the opportunity to achieve all they are capable of. 

Term 3 has been an incredibly busy but rewarding term within the HPE space at QHS, with there being a number of extracurricular activities running alongside our core HPE and personal pursuit classes.  

Continuing on from term 2 was the NHSSA Winter Sport rosters, with the last remaining roster games being played at the beginning of the term before moving in to finals. Of the 11 teams entered across Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, we had 9 make finals and 7 make it through to the Grand Final, which is a fantastic achievement! Commiserations go out to our 7/8 AFLW, 7/8 Div 2 Netball, 7/8 Div 4 Netball and 7/8 Soccer teams who couldn’t quite bring home the chocolates on the day despite playing extremely well, while a big congratulations go out to our 9/10 AFLW, 9/10 Soccer and 7/8 AFL Div 1 teams who all came away victorious on the day. A special mention goes out to Layla (Grade 10), Gauthier (Grade 8) and Prince (Grade 8) for being named the Grand Final MVP in each of their respective games, while a massive thanks goes to all of the staff, both teachers and TA’s, who accompany our teams each week and help to provide this opportunity for our students. 

In week 9, the annual NHSSA After School Basketball roster began, with QHS having 10 teams representing the school across Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. This is a great opportunity for basketballers of all levels to be involved and to represent the school, with this roster running through until the second half of term 4. Also occurring in term 4 is the annual Basketball Tasmania Weekend Tournament on the 8th and 9th of November, where four teams will represent the school and battle it out for a place in the State Championships. Stay tuned to the schools social media channels for more information around these as they approach. 

Also in week 9, we had four teams represent the school in the Netball Tasmania Northern School Championships held at the Silverdome. After four fierce days of competition where our teams gave it their all, we came away with not one, but two titles, with the 7/8 and 9/10 Boys teams both being crowned Northern Champions after being so close last year. Both teams will now head off to the state titles in early November, where they will compete against both public and private schools from across the state, hoping to come away as State Champions. 

Looking ahead to term 4, we have a busy end to the year approaching. Our annual Athletics Carnival is being held here at school over two days on the 29th and 30th of October, with students who perform well then moving on to the
Inter High Carnival at the St Leonards Athletics Centre on the 14th November and the State Athletics Carnival on the
28th November. The Schools Triathlon Challenge is on again in Devonport on the 20th November, with this being another popular event amongst our students that allows them to experience something different to their mainstream sports. To round out the term, the Inter High Golf Championships is on again this year on the 6th November at the
Launceston Golf Course. 

If any parents have any questions about any upcoming HPE events, please reach out to your child’s HPE teacher. 

In HaSS this term, students at Queechy have covered a diverse range of topics.

The Grade 7's have immersed themselves in Business and Economics.

The Grade 8's have been looking into Feudal Japan for History (interestingly enough, we had some Japanese exchange students this term) and Landscapes and Landforms for Geography.

In Grade 9, students have investigated Globalisation and Interconnections.

The Grade 10's have looked at Human Wellbeing and started a unit on the Building of Modern Australia, with a particular emphasis on rights and freedoms. This subject area is continuing to build knowledge about people, places, culture and history. It also seeks to develop skills such as research (using primary and secondary sources), understanding and analysing different perspectives, identifying pros and cons and solutions to various issues, data analysis and communicating ideas. 

Term 3 has been an exciting term in English for all year groups.

Our Grade 7 cohort have completed a novel study and essay unit, before beginning a highly engaging life writing unit that provides opportunities for students to read and respond to a wide variety of texts including autobiographies, picture books, interviews and create their own life writing texts.

Grade 8 has jumped back in time over one hundred years to learn about the experiences of those onboard the Titanic in a historical recount unit. Students have learnt about the key events surrounding the sinking of the ship and have created diary entries as part of the unit assessment.

‘I Have a Dream’ is a phrase heard regularly in Grade 9 English as students have developed an understanding of the key features of persuasive speeches through analysing
Martin Luther King’s famous speech. As the term progressed, the Grade 9 students then developed an effective speech to persuade their own audience based on a topic of interest.

It is safe to say, our Grade 10 students have had the busiest term in English, moving from the War Poetry unit early in the term to preparing and undertaking their first ever English exam. Students have been able to develop a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of soldiers during
World War One through their analysis of a range of poems written on the battlefields in Europe. They have also learnt important study skills in preparation for their future education.

This term in Science we have been able to explore the delivery of science using a program called Stile. This online platform has allowed us to offer further science learning in a number of interactive ways which has generally increased student engagement and attainment.

We are working collectively to find a balance in the delivery of student learning to ensure we maintain our rigour and ensure that practical skills are built alongside the acquisition of knowledge. Using a variety of delivery options allows our students to select learning preferences which suit their style of learning.

We will continue this trial throughout term 4 working with the developer to strengthen and diversify our offerings to ensure that we get the balance right.

We have concluded the term in some grades with STEM challenges which allow students to apply their learning from earlier in the year to a practical situation. Our Grade 8 students have been designing, developing and trialling Solar Cookers as part of their challenge. Thankfully the weather in the last week has been positive for them to be able to fully test their devices.

We are continuing to refine and adjust our units of learning in the Maths space to ensure that there are appropriate opportunities for all our learners, in each of the topics we cover.

Through our weekly Professional Learning Team meetings, we are focused on building student skills through structured activities, focusing where possible on real life and practical applications. As part of understanding our learners we often use pre assessment tasks so that we can tailor learning and ensure success for all. We use these data sets to ensure that students can start at a point where they have success in the first instance but then try to stretch them with appropriate challenges.

Our Grade 10's have had the opportunity to undertake exams this term with the choice of a one-hour or two-hour exam depending on their pathway choices. This experience has reinforced the need for students to continuously build their skills, knowledge and understanding across their time at high school.

We are looking forward to Term 4 and the possibility of some exciting announcements in the numeracy space.

On Wednesday 17th of September our Grade 7/8 boys played their hearts out in the Northern Netball Championships. After the heartbreak of losing last year’s grand final they went one better this year to walk away as Champions!

The boys played with resilience and tenacity and showed us exactly why they are up and coming leaders in our school. It was a fantastic team effort that could not have been achieved without each of our 9 players and our wonderful supporters.

The team have now been invited to participate in the
Tasmanian Championships in Hobart next term. We wish them all the best with bringing the title of State Champions back to Queechy!!

On Tuesday the 16th of September our Grade 7/8 girls participated in the Netball Championships against other public and private schools in Northern Tasmania. 

The girls started off the day with two very good wins against Cressy and Riverside and had tightly contested losses to Riverside and Scottsdale. The girls rallied hard in their last game of the day to lose by only 5 to the undefeated St Pats team. 

They represented our school and themselves with pride, demonstrating resilience and showing the Queechy passion. We could not be any prouder of this wonderful group of students and their improvements across the day. 

Thank you to Ms. Spencer for leading our girls! 

Our 9/10 Boys are Champions! Their dedication, committment and ability to take on feeback is fantasic! 

We are incredibly proud of all students who took part in the High School Netball Championships ranging from Grade 7 through to Grade 10 for Girls and Boys. 

We were lucky enough for both Junior and Senior boys to be undefeated all day and come first place in the northern region of the state. 

In November these teams will compete against other regions of Tasmania to take out the State Championships in their respective age group. We wish both teams the absolute best! Go Queechy! 

Grade 10 student Rohan, also known as "Chad" to some people, is currently representing Tasmania at the Australian Youth Volleyball Championships. The competition has been tough but the team are doing well. Great work, Rohan!! 

On Monday some Grade 10 students travelled to Maria Island for school camp. 

They participated in short walks, beach activities, and group cooking, while some students also participated in a day walk up to the tallest mountain on the island, Bishop and Clerk.

Students also learnt about the rich history of the island, from convict penitentiaries to concrete factories. The older side of Maria's past was on best display however, our campers stayed in the old penitentiary cabins and cooked in small groups in the mess hall.

The trip allowed students and teachers to have fun as a team, whether it was playing cards in the evening or playing cricket in the afternoon. It was also a fantastic opportunity for students to cool off after exams!

Food Studies have been learning about Food Sustainability.

‘Food sustainability focuses on producing, distributing, and consuming food in a way that minimises environmental impact and ensures long-term food security for everyone. It involves practices that protect natural resources, promote social and economic fairness, and reduce waste, benefiting current and future generations.‘

Recipes have focused on some of the key aspects of food sustainability. For example: 

Seasonal/locally sourced ingredients - Berry/Stone fruit cobbler 

Eating the whole plant – Roasted carrot hummus and carrot top pesto

Using up left overs/reducing food waste – left over rice made into arancini; left over mashed potato into potato bread; left over pumpkin into gnocchi

Planning meals/shopping list - specific orders for individually made recipes

Composting/chook food with food scraps - not going into landfill

Consuming more plant based meals - Cauliflower base pizza

Eating more sustainable grains – Quinoa banana chocky pot

Eating less meat - Lentil and mushroom Bolognese

Students from Grades 10/12 recently took part in an Industry Engagement Day, visiting both Sustainable Timbers Tasmania and Hotel Verge Launceston to explore career opportunities beyond the classroom.

The day provided valuable insights into two very different industries. At Sustainable Timbers Tasmania, students learned about the importance of sustainable forestry practices, pathways into environmental management, and the wide range of jobs available in Tasmania’s timber industry — from conservation and science to operations and logistics.

Later, students visited Hotel Verge Launceston, where they were given a behind-the-scenes look at hospitality and tourism careers. From event management and guest services to business operations, students discovered the diverse opportunities within one of the state’s fastest-growing sectors.

Teachers said the experience encouraged students to think more broadly about their own career pathways and the transferable skills needed in the world of work.

The school community extends its gratitude to the Smith family, whose generosity made the day possible. Events like this give students a practical glimpse into life after school, and this year’s engagement day was both informative and inspiring.