Welcome back to Semester 2! I hope you all enjoyed a restful and enjoyable holiday break and are feeling energised for the term ahead.

As I reflected on the Semester 1 Report Cards, I was delighted by the collective efforts and achievements of our students - particularly in the areas of Effort and Behaviour. In Years 7 and 8, these results were some of the strongest our school has ever recorded, with over 95% of students achieving an A to C grade in these categories. This is a fantastic reflection of both our students’ dedication and the support of our staff and families.

Looking forward, the next six months are set to be busy and exciting, with a range of key events and opportunities for our students and the wider community. Some of these include:

NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week is celebrated across Australia each July, recognising and honouring the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year’s theme: “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” inspired a range of vibrant activities and events at the College in Week 1 of the Term.

Our celebrations commenced with a special NAIDOC Assembly, featuring a traditional Smoking Ceremony and the recognition of our QATSIF scholarship recipients. Throughout the week, students participated in Indigenous Art Workshops, Artefact Creation sessions, and Indigenous Games, deepening their understanding and appreciation of First Nations cultures.

It was wonderful to share these experiences with our students, staff, Elders, and the wider community, fostering connection, learning, and respect.

School Opinion Survey

The School Opinion Surveys (SOS) is undertaken each year to obtain opinions from parents, caregivers, students and school staff around what we are doing well and find areas which may need improvement.  This year the SOS will open on Monday 28th  July and will close on Friday 22^nd August.

The survey will be distributed directly to students and parents/caregivers using OneSchool emails. All invitations will contain a link with a unique user ID and password as part of that link. The survey can be accessed by simply clicking on the link. Respondents will only be able to complete the survey once. The SOS continues to be an anonymous survey. Personal information such as email address is used for distribution purposes only. These are separated from a person’s responses and deleted, prior to the responses being loaded into a database.

Further information about the SOS can be found at: www.qld.gov.au/schoolopinionsurvey.

Excellence Morning Tea

On Thursday 7^th August we will be hosting our second Excellence Morning Teas for the year. This event is focussed on celebrating those students who have achieved the highest possible grades for their Effort and Behaviour across Semester 1.  Invitations will be sent out in the coming weeks to those students who have attained this impressive result. 

Awards Evening:

Planning has commenced for the Annual Awards Evening, which will take place in Week 3 of Term 4 on Wednesday 22^nd of October. This special event provides us with an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the academic, sporting and cultural achievements of our students. In preparation for this event, students will be given the opportunity later this Term to apply for several special awards, including:

• P&C Citizenship Award (Senior and Junior)
• College Culture Award (Senior and Junior)
• Leadership Award (Senior and Junior)
• Innovation Award (Junior)
• College Wellbeing Award (Senior and Junior)
• Long Tan Award (Year 10 and Year 12)
• Ampol Best All Rounder Award (Year 12)
• Excellence in Sports Award

Further information around the criteria for these awards will be made available later in the Term.

Raptor Awards:

Another important aspect of the Awards Evening is the presentation of our Gold Raptor Awards. In order to be eligible for this award, students must accrue 18 – 20 points based on the criteria featured below. Students who receive a Silver or Bronze Raptor Award will be acknowledged on Year Level Assemblies later in Term 4.

Student Leadership Nominations:

Student Leadership nominations for 2026 will open in Week 3 of this Term.  This will include nominations for the following roles:

• School Captain (Year 12)
• School Vice-Captain (Year 12)
• House Captains (Year 12)
• Junior Captains (Year 9)
• Student Representative Council (Years 7 – 12)

Again, further information around this nomination process will be made available later in the Term.

I wish all students an enjoyable Term ahead and look forward to celebrating their successes throughout the Semester.

Regards,