Principal Update

Message from the Principal

Welcome back to what promises to be a very exciting and eventful Term 4. Next Wednesday evening we will celebrate our outstanding students at our Thrive in ’25 Awards Night. This special occasion honours the achievements and efforts of our students across all facets of school life. I extend my sincere thanks to our amazing P&C for their continued support — including hosting a bar for invited guests and parents to help raise funds for ongoing school infrastructure improvements.

I look forward to delivering my annual address and sharing the incredible impact that continues to make me so proud as Principal of this thriving school community. From our committed students and exceptional teachers to our dedicated school leaders — together, we continue to reach new heights as an influential public state high school shaping excellence across the wider education system.

Our Year 12 students are in their final weeks of tutorials, classes, and assessment revision. Many have been carefully planning their preparation for external exams. This week I had the opportunity to check in with a class and hear their feedback about ATOMI — our digital learning platform. Students spoke positively about how its videos, quizzes, and self-paced revision tasks complement live lessons and deepen their understanding. We will continue exploring digital platforms that enhance personalised learning, particularly in senior secondary years.

I’m also excited to share a highlight from last week when I was the Queensland Principal Representative to attend the 76th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Sydney. A standout experience was connecting with Australia’s National Science Agency and exploring their brand-new Mission Command Centre — just eight days old also built in Queensland — is the first of its kind in Australia and allows educators and students to simulate rocket launches from concept to reality. 

The challenge now is to bring these experiences to Queensland students, showing how space can drive sustainable solutions beyond our backyard and inspire the next generation to think bigger and bolder. Balmoral State High School working with Aviation Industry Steering Committee and industry will be leading this work to help enable other Aviation schools to access this type of STEM technologies for their schools. 

It is always a privilege to share updates from Balmoral and to reflect on the collective achievements of our school community. I look forward to many more highlights throughout this term as we finish the year strong and celebrate the excellence that defines Balmoral State High School.

Timothy Barraud,

Principal