2025 Kingaroy Highlights #14

Principal's Message

Hello everyone.  David Thomson, very proud Principal of Kingaroy State High School. What an amazing couple of weeks we've had here at the school. Our H2GP team, coming 16th in the world at the World Championships in Germany – what an outstanding success.

We've got our Art Gallery opening going on right now, and I'll take you in and show you that. And we have got so many other amazing things happening. Our touch football team – I've just got a text through from Mr Bunyoung – and we've had outstanding success in that competition.

But just come and have a look at this amazing art gallery of the student work. Absolutely outstanding work done by students, and a huge turnout here to our opening night. So come along to the Kingaroy Art Gallery and come see our student work – some of the great work that's been done at Kingaroy State High School.

And that's another Kingaroy Highlight.

Senior School News

Year 12

Year 12 students are beginning mock exams next week as part of their preparation for external exams. These will run up until Week 2 of Term 4. Students still attend school over this time and will leave their classes when they have an exam to sit.

It has been communicated to all Year 12 students that it is expected that all assessment and VET work must be completed by the end of Week 3, Term 4.

Please remember that all students are expected to submit both a draft and the final version of their assessment task. If the final is not submitted, the teacher will mark the draft. If no draft or final is submitted, an 'N' is awarded for the task and an 'N' is awarded for the subject overall (a QCAA policy).

Year 11

Unit 2 Block exams begin next Tuesday (9/9/25) and run until Thursday (18/9/25)

As we approach this very busy time, it is appropriate to monitor student part time work hours and/or other commitments that may impact student study time.

As we move towards the end of Unit 2, students will have the opportunity to change subjects for the start of Unit 3, i.e. the beginning of Term 4.   A reminder that all assessment from Unit 2 must be completed before changing into a new subject. Students can see Mr Maddern, or Mrs Walker to discuss subject changes.

Turning Eighteen

A number of students have turned eighteen or will be turning eighteen before they finish school. Our school rules and processes apply to all students at the school, regardless of age. While eighteen-year-olds are classed as adults, communication will still occur with their parents and caregivers and permission for school activities is still required.

Senior Schooling Team

If you have any questions, you can contact a member of the team at any time:

Andrew Maddern - Deputy Principal, Educational Achievement - Senior Secondary
Alysha Walker - Head of Department Senior Schooling
Rob Turner - Head of Department Health and Physical Education
Robyn Hourn - Senior Schooling Administration
Helen Beresford/Cath Glenny - Deputy Principal, Culture and Inclusion
Bec Zischke - Guidance Officer 
Sean Wicks - Guidance Officer
Krysty Connelly - QCE team member
Mel Kempson - QCE team member
Alex Fredricks – QCE team member

Mr Andrew Maddern
Deputy Principal, Educational Achievement - Senior Secondary

Year 9 Work Experience

Work Experience Placements for School Students Agreements will be handed out to students on Monday. Students will be required to source their own work experience. With close to 170 students in Year 9, and most work experience placements expected to occur in the South Burnett, placements with Kingaroy businesses could be challenging. Please encourage your student to start looking now.

The Department of Education insures students attending an approved work experience placement under a Contract of Insurance with WorkCover Queensland.

Year 9 classes will not be running in the final week of school, while work experience is on.

Mr Steve Perrett
Deputy Principal, Wellbeing and Engagement

Year 7 Activities

Year 7 Students Lead NAIDOC Week Activities for our primary students!

This NAIDOC Week, our Year 7 students proudly stepped into leadership roles by supporting and running cultural activities for Year 5 and 6 students from our local primary schools. The day was filled with fun, colour, and collaboration as our Year 7s guided the younger students through a variety of hands-on activities that celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and achievements.

Our Year 7s displayed maturity, kindness, and initiative throughout the day. They worked closely with the primary students, building connections, encouraging teamwork, and demonstrating strong leadership. It was wonderful to see them take on this responsibility with pride and enthusiasm, and their efforts made the activities both engaging and meaningful for the younger students.

We are very proud of the way our Year 7 students embraced this opportunity to share in the spirit of NAIDOC Week and to celebrate the rich histories and cultures of Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Primary School Transition Activities

Our school has been proud to welcome local primary students into our classrooms as part of their transition to high school. These sessions give students the opportunity to experience secondary learning firsthand while building confidence and excitement about their next step in education.

At Coolabunia State School, our Arts Department guided students through the creation of clay pinch pots as part of their Animal Within assessment. Working in the high school Arts classrooms, students explored new techniques and tools while expressing their creativity through sculpture.

Meanwhile, Kingaroy State School Year 5 and 6 students joined our Science Department during Science Week. Linking with this year’s theme and their own assessment, students engaged in hands-on experiments exploring electricity and energy. Working in the science labs gave them a taste of high school science and the exciting opportunities it brings.

These transition activities not only support curriculum learning but also provide valuable experiences in high school environments, helping students feel comfortable, prepared, and inspired as they look forward to their secondary journey.

Year 7 2026 Transition Update

Our transition program continues as we prepare to welcome our 2026 Year 7 students. Families who return completed enrolment packs by the end of Term 3 will be entered into a draw to win a free laptop, so don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

As part of the enrolment process, bulk interviews will be held in Term 4. These interviews are mandatory for all families who have returned enrolment packs. The interviews provide an important opportunity to meet with staff, confirm enrolment details, discuss individual student needs, and ask any questions about the transition to high school.

Families who have not yet returned enrolment packs are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to secure their place and be eligible for the laptop draw. Additional school tours are available for those who would like another look at our campus — please contact the office to book a time.

We look forward to meeting all families and ensuring every student is ready and excited for their high school journey in 2026.

Mrs Amy Stevens
Head of Department Year 7 Student Engagement

The Year 7 six-a-side touch football competition has been running successfully during first break on Mondays and Tuesdays. Students have demonstrated initiative by forming and nominating their own teams, and it has been wonderful to see the high level of enthusiasm, teamwork, and sportsmanship on display each week.

We are also pleased to see strong support from fellow students who come along to cheer for their peers, creating a positive and encouraging atmosphere. A special acknowledgement goes to Year 12 students Brock and Rory, who have kindly volunteered their time to referee the matches — their support is greatly appreciated.

As the competition progresses, we look forward to seeing which teams make it through to the final. There is even talk of a special match between the Year 7s and the Year 12s, which promises to be an exciting conclusion to the competition.

Mrs Cass Broomhall
Year 7 Year Level Coordinator

Fudooka Trip - Inbound and Outbound

Recently, we had our special guests from our sister school, Fudouka State High School spend ten days with us.  During the week the Fudooka students had a variety of experiences including English lessons, a visit to Kingaroy State School, VR in our iLibrary, whip-cracking, patting the animals in our ag plot and of course making the quintessential pavlova. Our students joined them for a day at the Bunya Mountains enjoying the beautiful scenery.  The week ended with the Farewell BBQ where the host families shared a delicious meal catered by Kingaroy State High School Hospitality students and finished the night off with some dancing. It was sad to see them go but we are excited because we get to see them again in just a few weeks from now. From Sept 18 to Sept 30, twenty wonderful Year 11 and 12 Kingaroy State High School students along with myself, Mr Thomson and Mrs Stevens will visit Fudooka State High School in Kazo, Saitama Japan and be the recipients of their warm hospitality. Now our students are busy packing, working on our language and cultural knowledge and preparing activities to teach their students about Australian Culture. This will be a world changing experience for these students and I am so excited to be a part of it.

Mrs Anna Vogelaar
Fudooka Exchange Co-ordinator

From the School Nurse

Life serves up challenges that can sometimes make us feel overwhelmed, unsure, or unsettled. When that happens it’s comforting to know there is someone, we can talk to who can share the load and help us through.

The people in your world won’t always tell you if something’s troubling them, so it’s important for you to consider what’s going on in their lives and be on the lookout for any changes in the way they behave.

• Are they having relationship difficulties?
• Are they in financial trouble?
• Are they experiencing increased levels of stress or constant stress?
• Have there been major changes at work or home?
• Have they experienced the loss of someone or something they care about?
• Do they have health concerns?

These are tough circumstances for anyone to manage on their own but by asking, ‘are you OK?’, listening and having a meaningful conversation can help those you care about through life’s ups and downs.

For more information, go to:  https://www.ruok.org.au/

Selena Stevens
School Based Youth Health Nurse

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