Head of Year 7 & 8 News

Year 7 students – one term down, only 23 to go until the end of Year 12 😁 What a great way to finish the final week of your first term at high school - with the swimming carnival and cross country! We started with the settling-in program at school and out at The Spit, engaging in team-building activities including canoeing and raft building. Laptops were distributed in week two. A parent and carer meet and greet with students and staff was held in week three. Unleashing Personal Potential (UPP) ran in week five. UPP’s ‘Step-Up’ session focused on Harnessing students’ natural energy and positivity while working together to complete challenges.

This cohort of Year 7 students have an abundance of energy, and it has been wonderful to observe their positive approach to high school. Thank you again to parents and caregivers for ensuring students have been organised and prepared this term. Your support is very much appreciated. Also, I would like to thank Toogoolawah SHS staff for supporting our new cohort with their transition to high school.

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 still on a mission to find the misplaced handbook rules booklet, and in the meantime are determined to establish clear rules for play. The most recent update is that the rules are clearer, and play is presently calmer than earlier in the term.

Level 2 applications

Term 1 interim reports have been issued. Year 7 students with an A or B effort and behaviour result for all subjects, and with attendance above 90 percent are invited to apply for Level 2 recognition early in Term 2. All students begin high school on Level 3. Now is the chance for Year 7 students – and Year 8 students currently on Level 3 – to apply for Level 2 and be eligible for Toogoolawah SHS reward trips.

Reward trips: On Thursday 21st May we are heading to Toowoomba Grand Central for the popular shopping trip. In August, Mr Moloney is organising a footy trip – I believe it is to see The Broncos and Storm at Suncorp Stadium. Our end of year trip is currently planned for Wet ‘n’ Wild. Students in Year 7 and 8 must see Ms Masters for a Level 2 application form.

Attendance reward breakfast

The attendance breakfast is on Thursday 23rd April from 8:30am. The breakfast recognised students whose attendance was 95 percent or above during Term 1. Students must check the reward breakfast list on Daymap for their name. Lists will also be placed in B block and K block staffroom windows, and under I block. Please check the list for your name. See your Head of Year if you have any questions about your attendance.

Year 8 Tangalooma Camp

The 2026 Year 8 camp planning is underway. 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. Camp letters and forms will be sent home at the beginning of next term. To keep the cost of the camp as low as possible, a number of fundraising opportunities are being undertaken by students.

On Sunday, for a contribution towards the camp, a group of students volunteered to pack and clean up the Mears pavilion after the Legends of Beef event at the showgrounds over the weekend. Thank you Maddy, Rylee, Ellouise, Hayley, Joe, Henry, Nate (Yr 7), Kalti (Yr 10), and parents. Students ran an ice-cup/drink stall for Cross Country this week. Next term, The Esk Grand Hotel are helping out with a raffle at the hotel on May 29. We have a pie-drive coming up in July, supported by Coff & Co bakery at Kilcoy, and students will run a bake-sale/drink stall for one of the Somerset Cup events.

The camp, held during Week 10 of Term 4, will allow Year 8 to come together to celebrate their successful completion of the school year. As well as the delicious meals, students can enjoy snorkelling, sea kayaking, sand tobogganing, dolphin and fish feeding, educational presentations, hiking, fishing, and tree-planting. If you missed the special edition of Year 7 & 8 news this term, the school received positive feedback in an email from a resort guest about the behaviour of students during the 2025 camp:

“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 (Year 9) 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.