Heatley Secondary College respectfully acknowledges the Wulgurukabaa and Bindall people, the Aboriginal Owners of the land where we learn every day and pays respects to Elders, past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, traditions, cultures and hopes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across the state.

A better understanding and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures develops an enriched appreciation of Australia's cultural heritage and can lead to reconciliation.

This is essential to the maturity of Australia as a nation and fundamental to the development of an Australian identity.

A warm welcome to all our new students and families who have started their journey with Heatley Secondary College this year. We have enrolled 112 Year 7's from primary schools right across Townsville and we have had a surge in new enrolments into our senior classes. Thank you for your confidence in our work and the level of care and direction we offer the students at the college.

I would also like to welcome new staff to the college. Thankfully, we have enjoyed a very stable 12 months in terms of staffing with very few transfers out of the college at the end of 2024. We are also blessed in that we have almost a full complement of teaching staff unlike many other schools in Queensland who are struggling to fully staff their campus.

Our new staff include:

Ms Jodie White (Maths)

Ms Angela Fleming (Science Maths)

Ms Sandra Darby (Science Maths)

Ms Madison Lyons (HPE)

Mr Quinton Pomare-Anderson (Director Clontarf)

I wish you all well in your career and your work with the students at Heatley Secondary College.

SCHOOL LEADERS

At the end of 2024, Mrs Adams-Thompson, Mrs Jenni Dawes and I had the pleasure of interviewing numerous senior and junior students for leadership positions. I can say with a very high level of confidence that I have rarely met a more outstanding group of young people. Every student who was interviewed acquitted themself with confidence and a positive outlook on their schooling and their relationships within and outside the college. The task of selecting those to fulfil leadership positions for the 2025 school year was made extremely difficult given the calibre of our young people.

I am extremely proud to be able to name our school captains (both Senior and Junior) for 2025 below, and I have no doubt that they will do us “Heatley Proud”.

Junior Secondary Captains:

Makenzie Bourke, Ruby Hampton, Bianca Owens, Alyssa-Jayde Sheean

Cleveland House Captains:

Gabby Claffey and Leilagi Neli-Lilo

Cleveland House Vice Captains:

Eli Coghlan and Olai Douglas

Lavarack House Captains:

Claire Lester and Majella-Rose Lui

Lavarack House Vice Captains:

Kcin Kalati and Zannon Mitchell

Melton House Captains:

Roman Ross and Chloe Tomlinson

Melton House Vice Captains:

Tiana Te Paa-Brown and Jordan Walton

College Captains:

Taylee Hampton and Mungu Toby

College Vice Captains:

Johnnias Clarke and Angelina Phillips

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Captains:

Micheal Choikee and SonnyAnne Raggett

Cultural Captains:

Chelsea Anderson, Lincoln Coghlan and Shykeya Palmer

THE AGENDA FOR 2025

We have much to celebrate from our 2024 school year including:

Vastly improved Maths results across the college
100% Queensland Certificate of Education attainment for our 2024 Senior class
9 of our 2024 Seniors have received an offer to attend university
The development and implementation of a reconciliation action plan which will be ongoing at the college
Substantial implementation of the new Version 9 Australian Curriculum

This year, our 3 target areas have not changed but we have added some significant strategies to align our work with our goals. We are still broadly focussed on:

Curriculum Teaching and Learning (Improvement in English results)
Wellbeing (Resilience)
Community engagement

Our strategies this year include:

Significant focus on the teaching of literacy skills across the junior school and a refined and clear understanding of the teaching of English in every lesson
Resilience in our Teens
Working with our community partners to co-design our engagement strategies

I am very much looking forward to some improved results this year.

Lastly….. P&C

Our P&C AGM will be held in the administration block on Wednesday 12 March at 6.00pm followed by the general meeting at 6.30pm. It was an absolute pleasure to welcome new members to the P&C at the first meeting this year and I would encourage all parents and caregivers, both new and old to consider joining the P&C and to also consider nominating for an executive position.

Kind regards

Melissa Jackson

SENIOR LEADERSHIP INVESTITURE CEREMONY

On Tuesday 18 February, we held our Senior Leadership Investiture ceremony, whereby we presented our College Captains, House & Vice Captains, Junior Captains and Peer Assist Leaders with their certificates and school badges.

We also inducted the whole Year 12 cohort into their final year of schooling, as College Captain, Mungu led the students in the Leaders Pledge, making a commitment to uphold the College expectations as Heatley Proud Learners and to fulfil their leadership responsibilities at all times.

We also recognised our 2024 highest academic achievers with a P&C scholarship award as well as the students receiving a QATSIF scholarship in 2025.

In addition, senior dux from last year, Millie Mataa returned to school for our ceremony to accept her medallion and certificate for this outstanding achievement.

Students received a very important message from Principal Mrs Jackson, that leadership is about the importance of teamwork and how it can have a profound and powerful effect both at school and in our personal lives, helping to foster and encourage a level of passion and energy in ourselves, and those around us.

Closing out the ceremony, some of our gifted guitar players performed the Deep Purple rock classic "Smoke on the Water", portraying a number of the guitars that were hand made here at school as part of the club run by Mr Geoffrey Giles.

Congratulations to all our college leaders for 2025 and we look forward to your representation throughout the year.

WELLBEING HUB!

The team in Wellbeing have been building on some wonderful concepts with the students this term. These include sharing the love in Valentines week where students were able to make a variety of ‘gifts’ for themselves or someone special. We had a lot of mums and aunties receiving some of these gifts throughout the week.

Last week's focus was on kindness and spreading kind words and positivity throughout the school community.

We also introduced some lunch time activities, including big games with pickleball being the star activity so far.

Wellbeing continue to provide some breakfast options for those who may have forgotten to have a bite to eat prior to school. This year there are a couple of new simple healthy choices and these are available to students from 8-8.30am outside Wellbeing.

Our Wellbeing Warriors will continue throughout each term of the year to introduce exciting programs and activities to support students wellbeing and connection in secondary school.

Rethink Program: Wellbeing is running their first Rethink Program at Heatley SC facilitated by John Cochrane, the chaplain at The Rock and the creator of the program. This initiative helps our year 9 boys enhance their interpersonal abilities, improve their capacity for reflection, and make intentional choices while reconsidering their actions and responses. The students have contemplated essential ideas such as "Your worth lies in your existence, not in the totality of your experiences." Throughout this journey, they have honed grounding techniques and enhanced their capacity for self-reflection, realizing that their personal value remains constant despite the challenges and experiences life presents to them.

Last week, the emphasis has been on "actions that affect behaviour", however it is our responses that truly reveal our character. This discussion highlighted how small issues can accumulate until reaching a breaking point. Nevertheless, when we can identify this process, we can gain greater control over our reactions. We are excited to have this program run throughout the term and building on these interpersonal skills.

Inspiring Brighter Futures: The Inspiring Brighter Futures program for Year 10 has returned to Heatley SC. So far in the program, students have explored their identity, values, and the shared traits of those in their community. The students have been able to distinguish important core values and the significance of these for themselves, as well as identifying the influential figures they admire. By having these individuals as role models, this helps maintain focus on otheir aspirations while remaining true to their own values. This program will continue throughout the term building further self discovery in the coming weeks.

Choices Session: CQU Choices action drama session had our students pondering the social responsibilities of the year ahead and the risks that can be associated with turning 18 and attending events such as schoolies. It was a humorous, and imaginative session that left the students engaged, whilst also delivering important lessons on relationships, safe driving, and responsible choices regarding drugs, alcohol, and party safety through creative skits.

RIOT Program

This year Heatley Secondary College introduced the Resilience In Our Teenagers - R.I.O.T Program. The aim of R.I.O.T is to develop teenagers’ ability to manage stressful situations in everyday life.

Students will acquire an understanding of how anxiety develops, and the strategies used to counter it, as well as learning different ways of thinking to avoid unnecessary stresses, whilst taking practical steps to build up resilience.

For example: Five finger breathing, belly breathing and/or taking deep breaths.

Please contact one of our Wellbeing Staff if you are interested in finding out more about the R.I.O.T Program. Parent information sessions are available.

Year 9 Stars from Heatley Secondary College and Pimlico State High School in Townsville, QLD, recently experienced what it’s like to work at radio station, Radio 4K1G.

Thanks to radio host of the Midday Show ‘Rollin with Reeks’, Arika Appleby, @PCYC Townsville and 4K1G students got to write and record their own shout outs for Stars and Arika’s radio show. \At the end of the visit the girls expressed how proud they were for stepping out of their comfort zones and experiencing something new. One student said: “I was really nervous coming in here, but this has been the best experience, and I feel really happy with myself.” PCYC Queensland

NAPLAN

NAPLAN online 2025 commences Wednesday 12 until Monday 24 March.

During this test window, year 7 and 9 students will spend four lessons participating in the national testing event. Both year levels will also participate in a school readiness test in week 6.

NAPLAN provides parents/carers and educators with valuable and informative data to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy and allows teachers to be able to put forward best practices that is beneficial to every child.

For further information, please don't hesitate to contact our office on 4726 8333 and ask to speak with DP Matt Bailey.

School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)

To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government is providing up to 30,000 qualifying families with school age children a free NBN service. The Initiative has been extended meaning:

Families can continue to sign up to access the initiative in 2025, until all available 30,000 places have been filled.
All families, existing and new, will receive free internet until 30 June 2028.

The Government has invested $13.7 million to implement the Initiative in partnership with NBN Co.

How to apply?

To check if you qualify follow these simple steps.

Contact the National Referral Centre, on 1800 954 610 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm AEDT). Callback, webchat and interpreting services also available.
SSBI
The National Referral Centre team will check your residential address and ask you some basic questions to determine if you qualify for the Initiative.

If you qualify, you will be issued a voucher which can be redeemed at any of the participating internet providers. The National Referral Centre will also be available to assist with contacting your chosen internet provider or providing follow-up support.

How to qualify?

To qualify families and carers must:

Have a school age student at home (full or part time), enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindergarten in NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT/ACT and Pre-Primary in WA).
Not have an active NBN network internet service at your current residential address now or in the past 14 days (having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).
Live in a premise that can access the NBN network through a standard connection.

Studiosity

Studiosity is an initiative by James Cook University (JCU), designed to help students with their studies.

The following information is taken from the JCU website:

At James Cook University (JCU) we believe every student has the potential to succeed with nurture and support. Empowering students to grow and build on their community and learning ecosystem as they transition through school and beyond. JCU will offer free access to Studiosity with limited places available.

What is Studiosity

Studiosity is personal study help, anytime, anywhere. Proven to grow student success metrics in schools and universities. Working together with our higher education partners around the world to grow student success for learning, including academic feedback and study help, and delivering powerful peer connection at scale. Accessible 24/7 to ensure students receive timely support when they need it.

Get involved

JCU has teamed up with Studiosity to offer a tailored program to assist North and Far North Queensland high school students the opportunity to gain to this service. Students in the program will receive:

Student Connect - Students will gain access to Student Connect, an online student-to-student service facilitating personal mentoring provided by dedicated JCU Students. Through this platform, students can seek assistance with their current course content and assessments, while also engaging with current students to gain valuable insights into university life.
Connect Live - Students will have the flexibility to engage with a subject advisor via text or voice chat, for discussion. With Connect Live, assistance is available across a range of subjects, including mathematics, chemistry, physics, business studies, and more.
Writing Feedback - For students seeking support for an essay, assignment, or any written piece of work and want constructive feedback, simply upload a draft at any time. Within less than 24 hours, Studiosity will return it to the student feedback, outlining specific areas for improvement in their writing.

Registration

Please complete the Studiosity Registration web form via this link (https://www.jcu.edu.au/future-students/schools/studiosity)

Students will need their report card to sign up.

If there are any queries about this, or any of Senior Schooling matter, please make contact with the Guidance Officers or Head of Senior Schooling via e-mail GuidanceOfficer@heatleysc.eq.edu.au