Year 7 and 8 News

Our 2026 Year 7 students are off to a great start. The Settling-in Program began with learning how to read timetables and concluded with a two-day excursion to The Spit at Lake Somerset. Students engaged in team-building activities, including canoeing, raft building and water balloon volleyball. Feedback from staff has been overwhelmingly positive about this group of young people. They are energetic, enthusiastic and very eager to learn. 

This week, as a part of the Unleashing Personal Potential (UPP) Step-Up program, students participated in further sessions with a focus on harnessing their natural energy and positivity while working together to complete a number of challenges (see pictures). 

In Week 2 students received their school laptops. During a laptop ‘how-to’ session, Mr Harris, Mr Walsh and Miss Vicki helped everyone log-in and become familiar with using their devices at school. Classroom teachers have supported students to access and navigate various class-specific platforms, such as Writer’s Toolbox - Write that essay. It has been interesting to observe how quickly the 2025 and 2026 Year 7 classes were able to set up and use their laptops. Having grown up in our digital age, their technological fluency is impressive. 

Thank you to parents and caregivers who have ensured students are organised and prepared this term and thank you to all staff for supporting our new cohort with their transition to high school. Thank you to Candice and her tuckshop volunteers Robyn, Andrea and Lyn, for preparing lunch and snacks for The Spit excursion, and our School’s Junior and Senior leaders for mentoring and helping the Year 7 students. Also, thank you to the families who were able to attend the informal ‘Meet & Greet’ at the school on Tuesday evening. It was a nice opportunity for our students’ families and teachers to meet and have a chat about how the school year is progressing. 

Handball – Toogoolawah State High School rules 

Handball competitions are a daily feature of the Year 7 area under the bus shelter. There have been some earnest discussions about the rules. Nate and Henry are on a mission to find the misplaced handbook rules booklet, and in the meantime are determined to establish clear rules for play. Good luck young people! 

Tangalooma Camp 

The 2025 Year 8 camp was a resounding success. As well as the delicious meals, students had an awesome time participating in snorkelling, sea kayaking, sand tobogganing, dolphin and fish feeding, educational presentations, hiking, fishing and tree-planting. The camp, held during Week 10 of Term 4, allowed the group to come together to celebrate their successful completion of the school year. The school received positive feedback in an email from a resort guest about the behaviour of students. 

“We have had the pleasure of meeting the year 8 group today. What a wonderful group of children, well behaved and courteous. It was great seeing them having fun and listening to the adults accompanying them. We hope that they enjoyed their stay at Tangalooma.” 

I wish this cohort all the best as they continue with The Rite Journey program in Year 9, supported by Mr Moloney, Ms Lynch, Mrs O’Farrell and Mr Lee. 

Due to the success of this camp over the past two years, our 2026 Year 8 students have the opportunity to head over to Tangalooma at the end of the year. We are booked in from Monday 7th – Thursday 10th December, which is the final week of Term 4. A parent/caregiver information and consent form will be sent home shortly. 

During our Junior Parade this week, Junior School Captains Rylee and Henry and Year 8 PDP Student Council Representatives, Layla, Joe and April, discussed some fundraising ideas with their peers to reduce the cost of the camp. One plan is to sell ice-cups at the Cross Country on the final day of this Term. We also have an opportunity to fundraise through the Legends of Beef event at Toogoolawah Show Grounds in March. If any Year 8 students are able to help for a couple of hours on Sunday 29th March with clearing tables and packing up, that would be very much appreciated. Drop-off and pick-up times will be communicated before the event. 

Feedback Week – Week 5, Level 2 Applications, Barbecues and Rewards Trips 

Each term students have an opportunity to request individual feedback from teachers about their effort and behaviour in all subjects. Teachers refer to the effort and behaviour matrix, detailed on the back of the sheet, to provide precise and tailored feedback. By specifically detailing what the student may need to work on, they are more likely to achieve a better effort and behaviour result.  

Feedback sheets were handed out on year level parades. Year 7 students were shown how to fill in the sheets during their PDP lesson and how to request feedback from teachers. Feedback week is the perfect opportunity for students to ensure they are on track to maintain or achieve Level 2 before Term 1 reports are released. All Year 7 students begin school as Level 3 students. Students who have achieve an A or B for effort and behaviour in all subjects are eligible to apply for Level 2.  

Level 1 and 2 students are positively recognised throughout the year with rewards trips and barbecues. Earlier this term we held our cheeseburger barbecue lunch to recognise Level 1 and 2 students, as well as those with attendance of 95 percent or above for 2025 Term 4. It was absolutely fantastic to see around 160 students lined up to grab a burger and a drink. 

Next term the annual and immensely popular shopping trip to Grand Central in Toowoomba will go ahead in Week 5. Mr Moloney is busy planning a footy trip for Term 3. The final rewards trip at the end of the year is to Wet ‘n’ Wild.