This term, our students embraced a wide range of activities that sparked their curiosity and ignited their passion for learning. In science, they conducted captivating experiments, exploring a range of disciplines within science.

In mathematics, they tackled complex problem-solving tasks, developing logical thinking skills. Group tasks fostered collaboration and communication. As we reflect on this term's activities, we commend our students' enthusiasm and dedication.

They have embraced challenges and expanded their horizons. We eagerly anticipate the next term, where more exciting adventures in mathematics and science await, including the Australian Mathematics Competition and Science Week. Keep up the great work!

The 9/10 Child Studies classes have had a great first half of the year. We have been learning about families, the cost of parenting, contraception, infertility, conception, and pregnancy. In our studies about pregnancy, we spoke about the importance of healthy lifestyles and nutrition for expectant mums.

We finished this unit by enjoying a lunch together, eating foods that are suggested to avoid when pregnant. This was a great experience, and everyone was surprised by some of the foods that should be avoided.

We have new additions to the classes, with the arrival of our virtual babies. We are all excited to have the opportunity to take these home in Term 3 to experience what it is like having a newborn.

Bel Mackrill and Steph Milner
Child Studies Teachers 

Vietnam: Dusted Off is a brilliant one-man show performed by Brett Hunt, the son of a Vietnam veteran. Brett creates a mixture of voices from the time-period and combines it with solo-guitar music to tell the story of his dad (Frank Hunt) and the hardships he faced.

Our Year 10 students recently watched the performance and were moved by the emotional story that Brett told. The show was not only entertaining but a perfect link to the Year 10 curriculum. Several students stayed behind to ask Brett further questions and share their family connections to war, with many saying they now have a new appreciation for the song I was only 19 by Redgum.

A paragraph taken from the Troubie, Theatre for Young People flyer:

The 40th anniversary of the first moon landing also marks the day of a tragic twin mine incident that killed two Australian soldiers and wounded 23 others during the Vietnam War. On 21 July, 1969, soldiers of A Company, 6RAR/NZ (ANZAC) Battalion gathered around a radio to hear American astronaut Neil Armstrong declare “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” as he walked on the moon. Later, the Australian troops were patrolling in the Light Green region east of Hoi My as part of Operation Mundingburra when they triggered two mines. More than half of those wounded suffered such severe injuries that they were evacuated to Australia. Radio operator Private Frank Hunt, who was badly wounded in both legs, was later immortalized in the 1982 Redgum song I was only 19 with the line: “Frankie kicked a mine the day that mankind kicked the moon”.

Art of Influence – Richard Tipping (Australian Artist 1980’s)

Tipping acquired street signage and he altered the signs to be ironic and then displayed them in an art exhibition.

E.g Street Freeway became ‘Art Freeway’

The 9/10 Urban Art class have made their own signage using slab pottery techniques.

Stop signs were popular with the students. They created work like ‘WHY STOP’, ‘STOP HAMMERTIME’, ‘STOP being annoying!’

The results of this task were quite fun!

The year 11/12 Certificate II in Community Services class have spent the term learning about work health and safety, infection control and food safety. We have had many opportunities for hands on learning to practice our skills with real equipment and in simulated environments. We were invited to use the Newstead College simulated health care environment where we were able to practice changing linen, cleaning spills, cleaning and dressing wounds, changing nappies, and donning and doffing PPE.

Following on from these topics, we have also completed our first aid certificates and visited the University of Tasmania Nursing environment.

We have recently formed a partnership with Stewart Child Care Services and have been visiting the children for play sessions. These visits have complimented our playgroup that we have been hosting in our year 11/12 block. Next term we are looking forward to commencing our Intergenerational Program with Regis Aged Care.
We also congratulate our student Tarkyn, for gaining full time employment in the disability industry. 

On Monday June 26^th,  the year 11/12 Introduction to Sociology and Psychology students visited Tasmania Zoo to observe the socialisation of primates and how offspring are raised in the animal kingdom. 

It was also an opportunity to “people watch” and notice how society treats those who deviate from expected social behaviours.  Students attending the excursion had a great afternoon and particularly enjoyed interacting with the animals they were allowed to feed. 

On Tuesday 27th June, 15 students represented Queechy at the Interschool Chess Tournament held at Prospect High School. Students each played 7 games in total across the course of the day and represented Queechy with pride.

Special mention to Joshuah and Braden for being ranked in the top 25% of all competitors on the day and achieving credit ratings!  

On Wednesday 28^th June our ‘9/10 Travelling Chef’ class put on their first Food Truck event for the year. Students have worked hard for the past few weeks creating, testing and refining their ideas to bring to life a dish of their choice to present to staff in this lunchtime endeavour. We have looked at cuisine from the Middle East, Vietnam, Indonesia and Spain this term and students had to adapt one aspect of these dishes to create their own. In the end we ended up with the following dishes for sale to staff:

• Honey Chicken by Izac and Iggy
• QHSP by Oscar
• Pork Bahni Mi by Riff and Cooper
• Chicken Souvlaki by Amber, Brianna, Eliza and Lucy
• Churros by Amber, Brianna, Eliza and Lucy
• Middle Eastern Chicken Wings by Archie
• Beef and Felafel Souvlaki by Jack
• Chicken Biryani by Stefan and Blake

So far all the feedback from staff, and some lucky students, has been very positive. Well done guys!!

This term students have had an introduction to the ‘café scene’. They have undertaken different roles including cooking, presenting and delivering food for themselves and others. They understand the importance of correct health and safety procedures. They look very smart in their red chef’s cap!! (An initiative to reduce the waste of disposable hairnets).

Students have enjoyed learning how to use the coffee machine and many coffees and hot chocolates have been made. They have proven to be good at ‘texturing the milk’. But don’t forget to ‘purge’!! Café Culture and Travelling Chef will be attending an excursion to Drysdale for the ‘2023 Hospitality Showcases’ next term. This involves rotating through a range of work stations - bar, barista, kitchen, front of house and point of sale. We are looking forward to this event.

The following photos are some of the recipes students have cooked this term.

Blackberry Streusel Muffin and Buttermilk Scones

Caramel Coconut Slice and a Hot Chocolate with Choc Chip Cookies 

Students have cooked a variety of recipes throughout the term. Most of them are suitable for breakfast or lunch.

They cooked ‘Toad in the Hole’ twice – the American version (egg cooked in cut out bread) and the English version (Sausages cooked in Yorkshire Pudding). Other recipes included Chicken Taco Nachos and Popcorn with 4 different flavours.

Toad in the hole (English Version) and Rainbow Rice 

Apple Cinnamon Scrolls and Cloud Eggs

Hi,

My name is Ellen.

I am in grade 9 this year at Queechy.

During the lunch time breaks I have been making pottery. This is inspired by Garry the snail from the amazing TV show ‘SpongeBob Square Pants’.

I don’t currently study Art, so it has been great to be able to do something creative during my lunch time. Pottery has been really fun!

Please enjoy some of the other art work students have completed so far this year

It has been a remarkable journey as our young minds dived into the fascinating world of Game Design, User Stories, and algorithm development using Game Maker Studio.

Game Design: Unleashing Creativity and Problem-Solving Skills In Term 2, our Digital Technologies students embarked on an exciting adventure into the realm of Game Design. This immersive experience allowed them to explore their creativity and channel their problem-solving skills to create captivating and interactive game experiences.

Students learned the fundamental principles of game design, including conceptualization, character development, level design, and gameplay mechanics. They delved into the art of storytelling, engaging players through intriguing narratives and captivating gameplay elements.

User Stories: Fostering Empathy, User-Centric Design Understanding the importance of user experience. Our students dived into the concept of User Stories—a valuable tool in developing user-centric games and applications. By putting themselves in the shoes of the players, they developed a deeper empathy for user needs and preferences.

Through extensive research and user feedback, our students honed their ability to create engaging experiences tailored to the desires and expectations of their target audience. By crafting User Stories, our students have become masters at anticipating user needs and translating them into interactive elements within their games.

Algorithm Development: Unleashing Logic and Problem-Solving Skills. Term 2 also introduced our students to the fascinating world of algorithm development. They learned the building blocks of programming logic and how to apply them to game development. Using Game Maker Studio, students brought their creative ideas to life by implementing algorithms that govern the behaviour of characters, control game mechanics, and create immersive gameplay experiences.

Showcasing the Talent: Games Designed, Tested, and Created. We are incredibly proud of our students' achievements this term, as they have transformed their ideas into fully functional games using Game Maker Studio. The effort, dedication, and creativity demonstrated by each student have been truly inspiring. If you are interested in the design process that the students followed ask them to show you their Development Journals!

Upcoming Events and Exciting Prospects Looking ahead. Term 3 promises to be equally exciting for our Digital Technologies program. We will be exploring cutting-edge technologies, such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence and Robotics. Our students will have the chance to tackle new challenges, expand their skillsets, and continue to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.

Attendance and unexplained absences

We have been investing considerable time and energy supporting students to be at school, or return to school, this year. Our overall attendance figures are still falling, and we are seeking support from families to ensure all students are on-site for every day possible for the remainder of the year.

We are currently experiencing a surge in notified illness and I thank parents for both keeping your children at home when they are unwell and notifying the office of the reason for the absence.

Our overall illness rate is similar to the last two years.

What has increased however is the rate of unexplained absences. We are currently sitting at 13% of all absences remaining unexplained, this is a significant increase over previous years.

There are several ways to communicate with the school if your child is not at school for any reason:

• Reply to the SMS message sent out when your child is absent
• Text the school SMS number 0427 016 460
• Phone the school office 6341 4455 and leave a message at the “Leave an absent student message” prompt by pressing 1 when asked
• Phone the school office and talk to one of our admin team. This is especially important if you need support to get your son/daughter to school. The admin team will then have the most appropriate person contact you back.
• Schoolzine App. This can be downloaded from either the Google or Apple Store on your device
• School Website. https://queechyhigh.education.tas.edu.au/absentee and leave a message there

Busy end of term

There has been lots on over the past two weeks as we head into the term 2 break starting on 8^th of July.

• Launceston and Newstead College Transition Days
• Parent teacher
• All schools cross country
• Queechy Food Truck
• “Be-wise” presentation
• Shorts Day
• Primary school transition visits
• Master Builders presentation
• Year 10 HASS performance
• RSA Course

As always we provide significant opportunities for our students to be involved in a multitude of opportunities here at Queechy.

Student Free Day

A reminder to all families that the first day of Term 3, 24^th July is a professional learning day for staff and students do not attend.

Our staff will be involved in several learning and planning sessions including:

• Using AI to support student learning
• Reading Intervention Practices
• Embedding the R’s behaviour support process

Staff Farewells

It is again with some sadness that we will farewell several staff at the end of this term.

Murat Djakic after a 38 year career in education Murat has finally made the call to retire. We thank Murat for the significant legacy he leaves behind across the north of the state in multiple schools. Murat’s passion for STEM is widely known and his work has helped shape the careers of many young people in Tasmania.

Hannah Bowden Floyd is heading off on maternity leave and is excitedly awaiting the arrival of her first child in Term 3. We wish her well for the new journey she is about to embark on.

Jasmine Gallagher is heading overseas to teach in an international school in Cairo! What an incredible opportunity and we wish her all the best.

Heather Jackson is taking the rest of the year off on long service leave. We are sure Heather will enjoy the extra time to be with her grandchildren!

Students, make your way to the Queechy library during the last week of term so you can get your “reading on” for the coming holidays. We have SO many great books to choose from!  Why not curl up near the fire with a great book and enjoy an adventure?

The cooler months bring colds, the flu, COVID-19 and other illnesses.

Being prepared is the best way to protect yourself and your family.

Prepare

Children are most likely to catch and spread the flu. Make sure your child has received their annual flu vaccine. This will boost their immunity against most likely circulating flu strains. It will also help stop them getting very sick.

Plan

If your child is at higher risk of becoming very sick from the flu, COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses, make a plan with your healthcare provider for when your child becomes sick.

Protect

Protect others by keeping your child home if they’re unwell, encouraging regular hand washing, and covering coughs and sneezes.

For more information, read the [enclosed/attached] parent and carer factsheet or visit the Department of Health website.

Thanks for doing your part to keep our school community safe, healthy and learning.