2025 Kingaroy Highlights #9

Principal's Message

Hello everyone, David Thomson — very proud principal of Kingaroy State High School.
I'm in our iLibrary at lunchtime; we've got a lot going on. We've got students in chess club happening at the moment, we've got virtual reality stations going on, we've got kids also doing their assignment work and sitting and reading.

But excitingly, we've got our H2GP team competing in the regional challenge at the moment. They're currently coming second, and we, of course, we're the reigning champions regionally and also represented Australia last year in this fabulous competition.

We're excitingly watching them — they've got a couple of hours to go, but we've got high hopes to once again represent Australia.

This is proudly supported by Ken Mills Toyota, by Stanwell, and RES Wind Farms that help our team get to this competition and do so very well.

We're proud of our team — our hydrogen-powered car team — but also proud of our students here engaging in all different things at lunchtime here in our iLibrary.

And that is another Kingaroy highlight.

Senior School

Year 12

Year 12 students are busy completing their assessments, including the final internal assessments for their General subjects and the first piece for Unit 4 for their Applied subjects and all students received a schedule of assessment for Unit 4 via email this week.

A few reminders:

1. ‘A due date is a due date is a due date.’ (Mr Freeman 2018)
2. Submission of a draft is vitally important.
3. Failure to submit a final piece without a draft could result in an 'N' result for the assessment piece and an 'N' result overall for the subject.
4. All work submitted must be the student's own work, other than that which is referenced in the task. All work submitted will be checked by your teachers for plagiarism and AI generation as part of the Academic Integrity process.

All students were emailed the External Exam timetable last week. More information about Mock Exams in Term 3 will be sent out soon.

Year 11

Year 11 students should have completed their subject changes by now and be well on their way in Unit 2.

The school is concerned that many Year 11 students are underachieving for a number of reasons including:

1. Not enough time studying at home.
2. Non-submission of drafts and/or not responding to the feedback on the draft. 
3. Students spending too much time on Xbox/PlayStation/Netflix/YouTube etc. This must be managed and controlled.
4. Too many hours working in their part time job. This should be no more than 12 hours per week during term time - this is legislated in Queensland.   

As the course chosen by the student is the student’s course, the school expects reasonable success. Without this success, students may be expected to begin Year 11 again in 2026. While this has proven to be a very successful strategy, it is the school’s preference this does not occur.

Elevate Education

Year 11 students attended a presentation on ‘Time management’.  This has been very well received, and I am sure students will pick up some simple, practical and helpful hints.

Elevate Education presented a session to Year 12 students ‘Ace your Exams’.   These sessions have been very well received in the past and often students can gain one or two very simple ideas that can have a big impact on their academic success.  

Mr Andrew Maddern
A/Deputy Principal, Educational Achievement - Senior Secondary

Year 7 Students Demonstrate Focus and Determination

As we move through the final weeks of Term 2, our Year 7 students have been working exceptionally hard in preparation for upcoming assessments. It has been encouraging to see their growing independence, commitment to learning, and the way they are applying feedback to improve their work.

Across all subjects, students are demonstrating strong focus in class and taking greater responsibility for their progress. Many are making the most of drafting opportunities, asking deep understanding questions, and supporting their peers through collaborative learning.

Time management has become a key skill during this busy period, and students are showing great initiative in planning their study time and meeting deadlines. We encourage families to continue supporting these routines at home and to check the QParents app regularly for assessment timelines and due dates.

We are proud of the effort and resilience shown by our Year 7s. With just a few weeks remaining in the term, we are confident our students will finish strongly and continue developing the habits that set them up for success.

Mrs Amy Stevens
A/Head of Department, Year 7 Student Engagement

Year 10 Engineering and Construction

This term, we’re focusing on the Engineering section of the Year 10 Engineering and Construction course. Students are busy drawing, cutting, folding and shaping metal to create their own metal toolboxes - complete with a removable tray. This is the first time this particular style of toolbox has been part of the curriculum, and they’re already shaping up to look fantastic!

The Year 10 course is designed to give students a hands-on introduction to the two VET training programs offered at Kingaroy State High School in Years 11 and 12: Certificate II in Engineering Pathways and Certificate I and II in Construction. These programs are delivered in partnership with Bluedog Training, who provide the training and certification. The Certificate II in Construction is a new addition to our offerings this year.

As well as sparking students’ interest in these pathways, the course gives them real, practical experience — and plenty to think about — before they make their subject selections for Year 11 later in the year.

Mrs Carmen Peddle
Teacher

Year 10 STEM Camp at UQ’s Centre for Advanced Imaging

Last week, Mr Shirlaw and Miss Rudd took the Year 10 STEM class on a camp to the Centre for Advanced Imaging (CAI) at the University of Queensland. This excursion was part of the class’s term-long investigation into polymer chemistry.

Earlier in the term, students synthesised nanoparticle polymers using Macro CTA and HPMA. These polymers are being investigated as potential delivery mechanisms for cancer treatment drugs.

During the camp, students had the opportunity to characterise their polymers using cutting-edge imaging equipment at the CAI. This helped determine whether their polymer products would be effective for drug delivery.

Students conducted a variety of tests, including:

• NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) to determine polymer structure
• MALDI-TOF (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionisation – Time of Flight) to measure nanoparticle size
• GPC (Gel Permeation Chromatography) to measure nanoparticle mass
• DLS (Dynamic Light Scattering) to measure nanoparticle size

They also explored additional imaging techniques such as PET-CT, MRI scans, and fluorescence microscopy to study interactions between polymers and cells.

This year, students also built their own DIY fluorometers, which they used to measure the quantity of polymer produced. Commercial fluorometers can cost upwards of $5,000, but the student-built devices proved to be just as accurate—a fantastic achievement!

A big thank you goes out to Professor Kris Thurecht (Deputy Director of AIBN), Dr Craig Bell, PhD candidate Irma Vermeijlen, and the rest of the CAI team for generously giving their time and making us feel so welcome.

Mr Jamie Shirlaw
A/Head of Department, Science and Agriculture

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Kingaroy SHS Triumphs at the South Burnett Big Ideas Challenge 2025!

We are thrilled to announce that Kingaroy State High School has taken out the top honours at the South Burnett Big Ideas Challenge 2025, held on Tuesday 3 June at the Kingaroy Town Hall.

Our winning team—Ethan, Josh, and Allison—impressed the judges with their innovative pitch during the final “Shark Tank” session of the day. Their creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and entrepreneurial spirit truly shone through, earning them the title of Challenge Champions!

The event, hosted by Future Anything and supported by the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO), Powerlink Queensland, and the South Burnett Regional Council, brought together students from across the region for a day of ideation, collaboration, and inspiration. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of our students, not only in their own work, but also in their willingness to collaborate and connect with peers from other schools.

Throughout the day, students participated in a series of engaging activities designed to spark creativity and develop real-world solutions to problems they care about. The energy in the room was great, and our students embraced every opportunity to learn, share, and grow.

A huge congratulations to Ethan, Josh, and Allison for their outstanding achievement, and a big thank you to all the students who attended the event. We are incredibly proud of the way our students represented Kingaroy SHS—with passion, innovation, and teamwork.

We can’t wait to see what big ideas they come up with next!

Mrs Jade Cluff and Miss Emily Sprake

Exciting Start to the Kingaroy State High School Transition Program!

It’s official - the Kingaroy State High School Transition Program for 2026 has begun! Our school recently welcomed over 100 parents and students on-site for an engaging and informative school tour. It was a fantastic opportunity for families to explore our facilities, meet key staff, and start building a sense of familiarity and belonging. Stay tuned for information for Term 3 tours!

This marks the first step in our comprehensive transition journey designed to support students as they move confidently from primary to secondary school.

We’re also looking forward to our upcoming Parent Information Evening on Wednesday 23^rd July, where families will have the opportunity to hear more about curriculum, student support, extracurricular opportunities, and what to expect in Year 7. Enrolment packs are now available and will be distributed to all primary school students in the catchment, and we encourage all families to return forms promptly to ensure smooth processing. Enrolment packs can also be collected from our front office.

We are excited to partner with families through this important milestone and can’t wait to welcome our next cohort of Kingaroy State High School students!

Mrs Amy Stevens
A/Head of Department, Year 7 Student Engagement

From the School Nurse

Eye Health

Around 90% of all blindness and vision impairment in Australia is preventable or treatable if detected early.  Eye tests can help to assess your vision as well as detect and diagnose eye diseases early.  Early detection will improve your chances of better vision.

People 40 years and over should have an eye test every 2-3 years.  If you have any of the following, then eye tests should occur more regularly and at any age:

• Diabetes
• A family history of eye disease
• High blood pressure
• Changes to your vision
• Symptoms with your eyes

Eye tests can assess:

• Detail you can see at different distances
• Your peripheral vision
• Your eye muscles
• The front and back of the eye
• The pressure in your eye

Medicare subsidises eye tests from Optometrists for all Australian permanent residents.  If your optometrist bulk bills, Medicare will pay for:

• If you are under 65 years, one eye test every 3 years
• If you are over 65 years, one eye test every year

There are ways you can help to protect the health of your eyes.

• If you work in an environment where there is a risk of getting something in your eye (dust, wood chips, metal fragments, chemicals) wear a face visor or wrap around goggles.
• Wear sunglasses with good UV protection and a sun hat to reduce UV light.
• Practice good hand hygiene if touching your eyes, wash your hands before and after touching your eyes.
• Sit at arm’s length from a computer screen. Give your eyes a rest every 20 minutes by looking at something at least 6 metres away for at least 20 seconds.  Make sure the room is well lit and there isn’t a reflection on the screen.
• Quit smoking as this is linked to an increased risk of some eye conditions.
• Healthy eating will assist with preventing some eye diseases.

For more information:

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/eye-tests

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/eye-care

Selena Stevens
School Based Youth Health Nurse

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