Killarney eNewsletter Term 2 - Week 5 | 2025

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Githabul people as the  Traditional Owners of the sky,  waterways and land on which we learn and play. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present. We acknowledge the knowledge, memories, traditions and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to fostering a culture of learning in the spirit of togetherness.

We thank Githabul artist Nathan Charles for allowing us to publish his artwork. 

Date Claimers

EXPLICIT IMPROVEMENT AGENDA

From the Principal

Dear All

We’ve reached Week 6 of Term 2, and classrooms are buzzing with learning and assessment. At this point in the term, students are applying the knowledge and skills they’ve developed in their units of work, with teachers supporting them to achieve their best through clear expectations and targeted feedback.

Learning

One of the key teaching strategies in place across our school this term is the use of Learning Walls. Learning Walls are visual displays in classrooms that outline the teaching and learning for each unit, including assessment expectations. They include the Learning Intention, Success Criteria, modelled examples, vocabulary, feedback, and opportunities for self and peer assessment. These walls are dynamic and interactive – students use them to retrieve information, clarify goals, and reflect on their progress. In many junior secondary classes, students also have corresponding learning wall content in their books, which supports homework and assessment completion at home. Learning Walls support student ownership of learning and help create a clear path to success.

Across all year levels, our school-wide focus on reading continues. We continue building students’ capacity to understand and use subject-specific vocabulary. This vocabulary is critical for success in all learning areas – students need to know what key terms mean, how to spell them, and how to use them accurately in speech and writing in associated subject. Our teachers explicitly teach this vocabulary, including word origins and structures (morphology), definitions, and spelling. This is one way we are delivering on the Department’s commitment to developing reading through the Australian Curriculum.

Reporting

After consultation with staff and the Parents and Citizens Association we are trialling ‘no learning area comments’ on this semester’s report cards. This means the learning area comment that outlines the unit studied, topics and skills taught will not be included on the report.  This information has been shared through the newsletter and assessment schedule. The report will continue to include the student’s achievement against the reporting scale, behaviour and effort. Parents are invited to share feedback next term about this change.

Reports will be distributed on Wednesday 25 June.

School Dress Code

A reminder to families about supporting our school dress code, particularly as the weather cools. Students must wear the school jacket or jumper or plain navy jumper and trackpants – no logos, stripes, or other colours. Each morning, teachers remind students of uniform expectations, and students not wearing the correct school jumper will be asked to borrow a clean one from the school supply. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain high standards and a strong sense of school pride.

Athletics Carnival

Looking ahead, our Athletics Carnival is fast approaching in Weeks 9 and 10. Students have been learning the skills of each event in HPE lessons and are invited to join additional training sessions with Mr Bell and Mrs Keogh each Wednesday afternoon from 3:15 to 4:00pm. Mr Bell is currently organising the carnival, and we would greatly appreciate any parents who are able to assist at the full day carnival on Monday 23rd June. Please contact Mr Bell via the school office, or email, if you’re available to help.

Border Ranges Trail Bike Ride

Unfortunately, due to the continued inclement weather making the track unsafe the TBR has again been postponed. The new date for the 2025 ride is 6 and 7 of September.  This is of course very disappointing for all committee members who have already put so much work into the ride this year, only to have it postponed a second time. Thank you for your perseverance and valuing community!

Thank you, as always, for your support of our students and school.

Warm regards
Ros Hibberd
Principal

From the Head of Department

Thank you for my warm welcome back at the beginning of this week. For those interested, one of the big highlights of our trip to Europe was being in Killarney in Ireland – simply spectacular.

Thank you to Mrs Thomson for stepping into my role in my absence. Your perspective and fresh eyes are appreciated.

Year 10 TAFE – it is great to hear the positive comments and reflections from the students who are attending.

Parent teacher meetings – this semester we trialled the use of SOBS for the JS meetings and received positive feedback. Next semester we will use this platform across our school for parents to book meetings with teachers.

Report cards – End of Semester report cards are scheduled to go home at the end of this term. Students and teachers are busy putting information together and gathering evidence of learning as we continue this term.

Athletics Carnival – a reminder that our ½ day athletics will be held on Friday 20th June and our full day carnival on Monday 23rd June. Schedules and programs will be distributed to families in the next couple of weeks. Thank you to Mr Bell for providing opportunities for students to engage in training and practise prior to these events.

PBL focus – for the remainder of this term our focus will be on learning expectations and aligning our behaviour on these expectations, being a good sport, problem solving, recognising the importance of personal space and working collaboratively. These are all important skills to have as we head towards our athletics carnival

Kind regards,

Traecy Bartz

School News

Year 7/8 History

Dear parents/guardians of our Year 7/8 students,

Following on from our exploration of medieval Europe, this term’s focus has moved to Mesoamerica; the Spanish conquest and their impacts on the ancient civilisations of the Americas.  Below is some clarity as to what we will be completing across term one:

Unit 2: Spanish Conquest of the Americas

In this unit, students have been investigating the Age of Exploration to identify reasons for the great European voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries, and the motives and actions of Spanish explorers. Students have also examined the routes taken by Spanish explorers in the Americas and the various conditions they experienced, as well as the interactions between the Spanish and native American groups. We are now exploring the long-term effects of Spanish colonisation, including population changes and the exchange of diseases, animals, plants and technology between the New World and the Old World, known as the Columbian Exchange.

Unit 2: Assessment

Students will be completing an exam on Tuesday of Week 8. They will seek to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the causes and effects of the Spanish conquest of the Americas and the motives and actions of people at the time; they identify and explain different points of view in sources and different interpretations of the past; and develop descriptions and explanations.

Kind regards,

Benjamin Modra

bmodr4@eq.edu.au

Year 9/10 English

Dear parents/guardians of our Year 9/10 students,

Term two has certainly been a busy one, with our Year 9/10 English class delving into ‘Perspectives and Persuasion’.

Unit 2: Perspectives and Persuasion

In this unit, students learn the art of persuasion, in which they explore how to effectively persuade through the art of language features, text structures and verbal and non-verbal presenting skills. We are also exploring how social issues are represented within the media, whilst reflecting on our own beliefs and systems.

Unit 2: Assessment

Students in Year 10 will create and deliver a persuasive presentation that expresses a perspective on a contemporary issue and evaluates responses to representations, substantiating arguments with evidence to convince a symposium audience to accept a position and take action.

Students in Year 9 will create and deliver a persuasive presentation about a future possibility, using evidence to position an audience of peers to accept a viewpoint about implications for the future.

Assessment will be due on Tuesday of Week 10, with drafts to be submitted one week prior. Reporting results will therefore reflect their results for unit one.

Kind regards,

Benjamin Modra

bmodr4@eq.edu.au

2025 School Calendar - Queensland State Schools

https://education.qld.gov.au/about/Documents/2025-school-calendar.pdf  

P&C News

Tuckshop Convenor

The P&C is looking for a parent or member of our community who would be interested in volunteering to be our Tuckshop Convenor. The opening times/day would be the choice of the new Convenor. The menu would also be the Tuckshop Convenor's choice, in negotiation with the school to comply with  Healthy Choices guidelines. Please contact the P&C for further information or to express your interest by emailing: pandc@killarness.eq.edu.au.

How to order School Uniforms

New stocks of polo shirts have arrived so we now have all sizes available. Parents may now place a uniform order via email and pay by direct deposit!  We hope this will make purchasing uniforms easier. Students can come and see Mrs Diete during break times to try on uniforms if they are unsure of sizes. 

Community News