Celebrating 50 Years of Deadly

Although National NAIDOC Week was officially held from 5–12 July, during the final week of the school holidays, Balmoral State High School will celebrate next week. The 2026 theme, “50 Years of Deadly,” recognises five decades of celebrating the histories, cultures, achievements and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

On Tuesday, our current Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foundation (QATSIF) scholarship holders will travel to Laidley to celebrate alongside scholarship recipients from other schools. QATSIF provides two-year scholarships supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students commencing Year 11 to remain engaged in education and successfully complete their senior studies. 

Throughout the week, students will also have opportunities to participate in First Nations cultural and NAIDOC celebration activities at school. With the generous support of our families, a skateboard will be painted and given away to one student who participates in any of these activities. Students should keep an eye on the daily notices for further information about activities and how to enter. 

Our NAIDOC celebrations complement the ongoing support available to First Nations students at Balmoral. This includes our dedicated Teacher Aide, Layla; our recently upgraded dedicated space, The Deadly Room; and programs including Deadly Choices, EPIC through The University of Queensland, and Traction. From Week 2, a new staff member will also join us two days each week to re-establish the important Community Education Counsellor (CEC) role. 

We acknowledge and thank our students, families, staff and community partners for continuing to strengthen culture, connection and belonging at Balmoral State High School. We look forward to celebrating 50 Years of Deadly together next week. 

Kellie Baumgart