Deputy Principal

Stepping Up: Living Our Values Every Day

This term the school value that the school is focusing on is Stepping Up. At our school, Stepping Up means choosing helpful actions, even when they are hard, and living our character strengths in the moments that matter. It looks like students showing Courage & Action by tackling challenging work and owning mistakes; Honesty by being genuine and submitting original work; Self-regulation by managing emotions and time; Perseverance by finishing what they start; Teamwork by sharing roles and listening first; Zest by bringing energy to learning; Leadership by organising, including and motivating others; and Bravery by being an upstander who speaks up for what’s right. When our students step up in these ways, whether it’s acting on feedback, helping a classmate, leading a project, or reporting concerns, we see calmer and more engaged classrooms, stronger and respectful relationships, and a safer, more inclusive community where everyone can flourish. “How did you step up today?”

School Opinion Survey 

School Opinion Survey – Reminder Closes FRIDAY (22 August 2025). Parents, caregivers and students are encouraged to participate. Your insights will help us know what our school does well and how we can improve. All parents have been emailed a link to access the survey. Survey responses are confidential. The survey usually takes less than 10 minutes to complete. More information can be found on the School Opinion Survey webpage or by contacting the school.

Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plans) – Year 10 and Our Learnings from Five years of ATAR

SET Plan Interviews were held at the end of last week for Year 10 students. The purpose of the Set Plan interview is to map out a student’s individual learning pathway through the senior phase of learning. This coupled with strategic planning of pathways, and ATAR conversations, aided deep subject selection conversations by all. For those families interested in Years 7-9 we would recommend the session coming up regarding Our Learnings from Five Years of ATAR on 1 September to obtain  a greater understanding of the pathway to senior school success and how to best support your child’s learning journey.

Date: Monday 1 September 2025

Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Venue: The Gap SHS Auditorium

RSVP by: Wednesday 27 August 2025 

Ticket: https://events.humanitix.com/our-learnings-from-5-years...

Year 9 Camp including Rites of Passage Camp

Next week the Year 9’s head off on their year level camp. The aim of the camp is to take on Survivor challenges. The camp is facilitated by QCCC from a new site at Cobb and Co(near Gympie). For some students they will participate in the Rites of Passage camp, which is a which is integrated with Applied Positive Psychology class and culminates in their year level camp.

The Gap SHS aims to develop learners who flourish. A key part of this mission is our Applied Positive Psychology Program that has been running for the last 20 years. The pillars of this program are developing personal, social and leadership capabilities aligned to the Australian curriculum. As educators, we are in the unique position to work with and notice our young people and to call them forward to greater things. Developing and implementing a rites of passage program to help develop healthy and purposeful young adults will add another layer to our ability to instil the values of being kind, stepping up, paying it forward and thinking big. 

The Program has consisted of a day camp at Emu Gully for the students to introduce the concepts and ideas of Rites of Passage and will consist of an afternoon event at the LTC where students and their parents attempt challenges together, have dinner together and finish the night with a guest speaker on adolescents and rites of passage and the Y9 camp program altered to include specific Rites of Passage activities. 

Positive outcomes:

Benefit to the student: Engaging program that clearly demonstrates the way forward to grow into a reflective, respectful, resilient young adult. 

Benefit to the parents/carers: Support and a framework to guide their students towards developing into reflective, respectful, resilient young adults

End of Term

Year 12 

Next week is an important juncture for our Year 12 students. Some students will sit their final exams and submit their final assignments for IA4. Students studying General Subjects will participate in Mock Examinations from Friday 29 August 2025 to Friday 12 September 2025 (Weeks 8 & 9).

• This practice will prepare students for Term 4, External Examinations and guide targeted teaching and learning aimed at ensuring students challenge themselves to improve identified academic gaps and extend individual academic strengths.  Students are only required to be in attendance when they have a scheduled exam.

    

Year 11:

• Week 9 & Week 10: Monday 8 September 2025 to Friday 19 September 2025 are Block Exams for Year 11. Student attendance not required unless they have a timetabled exam. All Year 11 classes will be suspended. Students enrolled in applied subject workshops are expected to attend the scheduled catch up session.

For most students, the end of term brings on completion of various forms of assessment we wish you all the best of luck over the coming weeks.