Welcome to Term 4. We hope you had a restful break and are ready for an exciting and productive term ahead. As we enter the final stretch of the academic year, we have a lot to look forward to and many achievements to celebrate.

Academic Focus

Term 4 is a crucial period for our students as they consolidate their learning and prepare for final assessments. Our teachers are committed to providing the support and resources needed to help every student succeed. We encourage parents to stay engaged with their child's learning journey and reach out to teachers with any questions or concerns.

Good luck to Year 12s as they head into their SWOT VAC this week in preparation for external exams. This term marks the culmination of years of learning and growth. It is a time to focus on your studies, prepare for final exams, and solidify your plans for the future.

House week activities

Week 3 is house week where we celebrate our house culture and making a deeper connection with the school community. The aim of house week is to promote a sense of belonging amongst students and build a greater social and emotional engagement for our students towards their peers and the school. All activities will take place in the QUAD in Week 3.

Wednesday – Handball competition (morning tea)

Thursday – Handball competition (morning tea)

Friday – Activities in the quad by all houses (morning tea and lunch)

Non-Uniform Day Friday 18 October

This term, Blackburn and Hollows houses are organising a non-uniform day on Friday 18 October (Friday of Week 3). This non-uniform day, we are raising money for the Fred Hollows foundation, an Australian-based charity that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness across the world and restores sight to millions every year.

If you wear free dress, make sure you bring a gold coin donation to hand to your period 1 teacher on the day.

Non-uniform day guidelines:

Closed in shoes must be worn by all students – no rubber thongs or similar
Students must wear leather school shoes for lessons in labs, workshops, and kitchens (shoes can be changed before these classes)
No singlet tops
No plunging necklines
No short shorts/lycra shorts or leggings
No apparel containing offensive, suggestive, or inappropriate wording, pictures, or caricatures
No midriff tops
Normal school rules apply regarding jewellery, make-up, nail polish, piercings, body-art etc

Celebrating Success

Finally, Term 4 is a time to celebrate the hard work and achievements of our students. We will hold our Senior Excellence Evening on Wednesday 16 October to recognize the outstanding efforts and accomplishments of our students across various fields. This is a moment of pride for our entire community.

Week 11 Term 4

2024 school academic year has an extra week which will make Term 4 a 11-week term. The final week of the school year will be open for students at The Gap State High School, we have taken this opportunity to implement alternative programs that have an enhanced focus on engagement, cultural and wellbeing activities. All end of year celebrations and transition activities will occur in Week 10. A detailed program for the last two weeks of school will be shared soon.

Sun Safety – hats at school

As a school community, we try to uphold safe working practices both in and out of the classroom. Our students are playing outside more than ever before and while this is great, we need to really promote the importance of wearing hats during the school day.

Please check that your young people own a school hat, preferably one with a brim, and have it in their bag each day. During HPE and APP classes we require hats. Loan hats are limited, and while we have willingly provided loans to students, the numbers have dwindled significantly and it would be a simple matter of making sure each student comes prepared for class.

During lunch breaks and recreational activities, hats are also part of the sun safe requirements. Teachers on playground duty are within their rights to expect students to wear a hat, or come off the playing field if directed to do so. There is no argument about it.

We would like your support to encourage hat wearing during the school day.

Executive Principal