LSHS Newsletter February 2025

From the Principal's Desk

Welcome to the 2025 new school year!

We are thrilled to have your children attend our school and look forward to working with you to provide a successful and fulfilling academic, cultural and personal development experience.

Parent Engagement

Our school understands the important role you play in your child's education and appreciate the trust you have placed in us to be partners in your child’s education. We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and academically rigorous environment that will help your child grow and develop.

As the new school year gets underway, I encourage parents and students to focus on the learning and study habits that allow students to become responsible and independent learners with a clear focus on their future career and employment goals.

Open communication between parents and educators is essential to foster student engagement. We encourage parents and care givers to stay involved in your child's education and to communicate with us regularly. We value your input and welcome your feedback as partners in your child’s education.

Constructive and Respectful Communication

At the same time, I remind parents and care givers that all communication with school staff, whether in writing or face to face, must be constructive and respectful. The school will not accept parents acting in a confrontational or aggressive manner and will use the provisions of the departments Managing inappropriate and hostile conduct procedure to protect the safety and wellbeing of our staff and students.

Under this procedure, the principal is able to give different types of oral and/or written directions and seek orders, depending on the circumstances and type of conduct being exhibited. These directions or orders apply for different durations and either regulate a person's conduct or movement on school premises or prohibit entry to school premises. 

Please consider your ways of communicating when dealing with the school.  We are all role models for our children and want them to grow up being able to resolve conflict or disagreements within a cooperative and respectful manner.

Strategic Plan

Our new 2025 – 2028 Strategic Plan is soon to be released.  The strategic plan has been developed consultatively and has been informed by the findings and recommendations of our 2024 School Review.

The 3 key Pillars of our Strategic Plan are listed below with a brief explanation of the key actions that will be undertaken over the next 4 years:

• School Culture
  • Staff capability development to deliver strategic priorities
  • Systems of accountability and quality assurance to deliver strategic priorities
  • Consistency of school behaviour processes and practices
  • Enhanced community engagement and partnerships
• Teaching and Learning
  • High yield approaches to pedagogy
  • Quality assurance of curriculum and assessment delivery
  • Staff capability development through a model for staff coaching, observation and feedback
  • Whole school literacy plan to develop student literacy capabilities
• Targeted Support
  • Case management systems and processes
  • Evaluating effectiveness and impact of school funds invested in programs and partnerships
  • Shared vision for inclusive education and building staff capability to support implementation

Library and FlexiSpace Refurbishment

I am pleased to advise that the school library refurbishment has now been completed, providing a modern and comfortable facility for students and staff to use for a wide variety of class and lunchtime purposes. The facility was fully recarpeted and repainted and brand-new furniture and AV equipment purchased to transform this environment into a highly functional learning space and a comfortable location to read books and collaborate with learning.

The refurbishment was completed through the use of $130 000 of school funds and a $200 000 grant to establish a FlexiSpace program in our school.  A FlexiSpace is an in-school tool, providing short-term support for students showing early signs of disengaging from learning. They are purpose-built learning environments with flexible furniture and learning zones, where teachers work with small class sizes and tailor their teaching to respond to students' unique learning needs. FlexiSpaces are designed to help students build their confidence, improve academic results and develop the skills needed for success in the classroom.

The target audience for our FlexiSpace program is Year 8 in Semester 1 and Year 7 in Semester 2.  Unfortunately, due to teacher shortages, we have been unable to commence our FlexiSpace program from the start of Term 1.  We are planning for our first group of flexi students to commence at the beginning of Term 2 however, this will be dependent on having the staffing available to operate the FlexiSpace program.

National Teacher Shortage

Our school is being impacted by the national teacher shortage.  We have worked hard to ensure that teachers are assigned to every class from the start of the school year.  This has included removing subjects with small enrolments from the timetable and having school administrators teach classes where necessary.  We have proactively employed Heads of Department and Youth Support Coordinators when it was clear that employing classroom teachers was going to be difficult. We continue to advertise for our vacant positions and are liaising closely with the department’s HR Department to fill our vacancies. 

The impacts of the teacher shortage are being felt throughout the state, with even preferred metropolitan schools experiencing staffing challenges in some specialist subject areas.  We will continue to minimise any impacts on student learning as the school year progresses.

School Uniforms

The school is focussing on improving the way our students wear our school uniform. The uniform policy is located on the school website and outlines the purpose of our uniform, the required school uniform items, the costs and grooming standards.

School uniforms are important in schools for a variety of reasons. Firstly, a school uniform promotes a sense of pride, unity and belonging among students, as everyone is dressed similarly. This helps to reduce peer pressure and bullying related to clothing choices. Uniforms also create a more formal and professional learning environment, helping students to focus on their studies and behave more appropriately. Additionally, uniforms are also more cost-effective for families, as they eliminate the need to purchase expensive, trendy clothing. Finally, uniforms can help enhance school safety and security by making it easier to identify who belongs on school site and who does not.

The school is able to assist families who are experiencing financial difficulties by assisting with various repayment and support options. Families in this circumstance should contact the school to discuss your circumstances so that the school can find ways to assist you. Laidley Community Centre is also able to support families to purchase uniforms and school supplies. 

Accountability for Learning

Parents have a key role to play in ensuring that children arrive at school each day well prepared for learning. This includes bringing all necessary learning equipment, laptop computer, lunch and water bottles to school.

Students who arrive prepared with the necessary materials are more likely to be engaged in classroom activities and able to participate fully in lessons. This also helps students to be organized, keep track of important class work, assignments and deadlines and show respect for the learning environment and staff. Being prepared develops important habits and skills, including time management, prioritisation and self-discipline, that will benefit them throughout their academic and professional careers.

Parents are encouraged to go through their child’s school bag to make sure that they are bringing all of the necessary equipment to school every day. The list of equipment required is available in the year level stationery lists in the enrolments section of the school website. Students and parents are encouraged to work with and seek assistance from the school to resolve any issues.  This is particularly the case for your child’s laptop computer as it is an essential device to be bringing to and from school every day. 

Mr Michael Clarkson
Principal 

Senior School Report

Week 5 - out of the starting blocks, off and racing! 

Welcome to all students, staff and families of both returning and new students alike. It is wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm as students return from their holidays, sharing many stories and exhibiting a renewed sense of purpose.  This year I have the pleasure of working with and along-side the Year 11 and 12 cohorts and their families.  Together with Students, Parent/Guardians, my goal is to ensure 2025 is a productive and successful year for all, with students always being the best version of themselves.

The principle of Be a Learner is the PBL Term 1 focus. This principle is focusing on be prepared for learning and having all the required equipment and furthermore utilising the equipment for its designed purpose.

2025 we have a renewed focus on ensuring that our school uniform is being worn correctly and with pride. It is pleasing to witness the majority of our students wearing the school uniform with respect and in doing so looking very smart indeed.  A reminder that if your student is out of uniform for any reason, the process is to provide a note to their care teacher who will issue a pass for the day.  If the reason is for a longer period, a written note needs to be presented to the Deputy Principal/Head of Year who will issue a long-term note (generally a maximum of 2 weeks). If you are facing financial challenges in obtaining the required uniform in accordance with the school’s uniform policy, please contact the school so we can work together to find a solution. The uniform policy is available on the school website.

Every day counts and thus it is important that students are at school every day in front of their teachers to be engaged in the learning process.  Laidley SHS has set a 90% attendance goal for 2025.  I urge you as Parents/Guardians to ensure that your student is present every day and if not present to provide an explanation to the office as to why they are absent.

I have communicated to the Year 11 cohort that they are now in a non-compulsory phase of their education and have made the choice to return to school and thus need to be focused on being the best student they can be.  I have spoken about the cancelation of enrolment process which involves careful monitoring of student attendance, effort, behaviour and completion of assessment which are all key factors that contribute to degree of success achieved.  This process is a staged process which is designed to support students to stay at school and achieve their goals, however if students are not willing to contribute can result in cancelation of enrolment.

In conclusion I would like to introduce the Senior Schooling team:

Head of Year – Mrs Kerrie Gray

Year 11 Coordinator – Mr Brayden Greer

Year 12 Coordinator – Mrs Atlanta Jackson

Youth Support Coordinator – Mrs Carolyn Jackwitz

I look forward to a productive year working alongside everyone to achieve our collective goals as a senior schooling community.

Mrs Kym Crosby
Deputy Principal - Year 11/12

Middle School Report

Welcome to 2025!

This year we have all had a great start to the School Year. The team supporting students in 2025 for year 9 and 10 are:

Head of Year 9 – Mr Alex Ward

Head of Year 10 – Ms Jessica Lalic

Year 9 Year Coordinator – Ms Rachel Reis

Year 10 Year Coordinator – Mr Shane Canavan

Youth Worker – Mr Kam McDiarmid

All of us are here to help you and your student.

We are striving to improve in:

• Accountability for Learning – have all equipment each day (laptop, water bottle, school uniform, stationery and lunch)
• Uniform is a big priority – please ensure correct uniform including shoes and socks
• Attendance (aiming for 90%)
• Gaining PBL points for Respect, Responsibility, Safety and Learning
• Academic (improve each term on the last)

To assist students in tracking their attendance and PBL points, all students can see their attendance and PBL on DAYMAP. DAYMAP is a learning platform, that allows students to see lesson information when staff are away, their timetable, their assessment calendar and all school notices daily.  If your child hasn’t shown you this yet, please ask them.  If your student is having difficulty accessing the platform, please ask them to see their Year Coordinator.

I am looking forward to catching up with students throughout the rest of the term and assisting them to progress positively through 2025. If I or the middle schooling team can assist in anyway, please don’t hesitate in contacting us.

Mrs Kristie Podlich
Deputy Principal - Year 9/10

Junior School Report

Welcome Year 7 Students!

It is always a pleasure to welcome a new cohort of Year 7 students to Laidley High at the start of a new year and the start of this new, exciting adventure – High School! I am pleased to report that our new Year 7s appear to have settled in well. I’m seeing lots of smiley, happy faces and people doing a fine job of demonstrating our school’s behaviour principles: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe, and Be a Learner. A great start!

At the start of a year, I’m always keen to see students approaching their education with the right frame of mind; working with their teachers but working for themselves and their own futures.

Students, there are a few fundamental ways you can help yourself to make the most of your time at school and succeed:

1. Improve your attendance. Make every effort to be at school! If you miss class, you miss out on learning! You have an opportunity to equip yourself with knowledge and skills for life – YOUR life! Make the most of it!
2. Be prepared! Make sure you bring necessary equipment to class. Students who don’t bring their books, laptop, etc. are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to learning (not to mention having to face teachers who will wail and gnash their teeth).
3. Ask questions!!! What should you do when you don’t know what to do? …. Ask QUESTIONS!

Clever people ask questions. Questions drive thinking. Questions clarify understanding. Asking questions of yourself and others will help you to build knowledge, develop skills, make good decisions, and achieve your goals. NEVER be afraid to ask a question!

1. Build great relationships with the people around you at school – your teachers and your peers. It is important to recognise that you are all part of the same team, and you need to work together, supporting and helping each other. Everybody has a bad day from time to time, but if your goal is to be kind and helpful, and your aim is to make a situation better (not worse!), everybody benefits!

Keeping this in mind I would like to introduce the team supporting students in year 7 and 8:

Head of Year 7 – Mr Michael Armstrong

Head of Year 8 – Ms CJ Pitty

Year 7 Year Coordinator – Mr Matthew Maticic

Year 8 Year Coordinator – Ms Leanne Cook

Youth Support Coordinator- Miss Sally Johns

It was lovely to meet and chat with parents and carers who attended the Laidley SHS Welcome BBQ Breakfast for Year 7 students and their families. I look forward to working with all of you, to make 2025 a fantastic year at Laidley High.

Every Student – Healthy, Happy and Capable!

Mr Andrew Tarvit
Deputy Principal - Year 7/8

Business Manager Report

Message from the Administration Team

Student Resource Scheme (SRS)

Laidley State High School participates in the Student Resource Scheme (SRS), ensuring that all students have access to the necessary resources for their subjects. More information can be found following the link at the bottom of this article.

Invoices for the applicable year levels and subjects will be issued soon, with payment due dates specified on the invoice. If you require additional time to make a payment, please inform our team. For those with existing payment plans or Centrepay arrangements, payments should be completed by Term 3. At the beginning of Term 4, we will ensure that all outstanding payments for the year are finalised.

Making Payments

The school has many ways to receive funds:

• QPARENTS - Preferred method
• BPOINT - See the link at the bottom of your invoice or statement
• EFTPOS - At the office (cash payments at the office are discouraged)
• Bank Transfer - Details below

BSB: 064419
Account: 00090349
Description: First letter of the first and middle name and last name/brief description i.e. JMSmithYr7Camp (Remittance to be emailed to admin@laidleyshs.eq.edu.au) 

If you are experiencing financial hardship, please contact the Business Manager to discuss a tailored payment plan.

Uniform Loans

Students who arrive to school without the appropriate uniform will be directed to the office to borrow one. Parents/Guardians will receive a text notification when a uniform loan has occurred. If the item is not returned within one week, a follow-up text will be sent. After an additional week, an email will be sent regarding the unreturned item.

We understand that unforeseen circumstances arise; however, we kindly ask that all loaned uniforms be returned promptly to ensure availability for other students. If you are experiencing financial hardship regarding uniforms, please contact the Business Manager to discuss available support options.

Student Absences

To notify our Administration Team of a student absence, please email studentabsences@laidleyshs.eq.edu.au. For absences of three or more consecutive days, a medical certificate is required and should be submitted via email.

Unexplained absence notifications are sent via text each morning. Responding to these messages will automatically update our records, so we kindly ask that you reply promptly. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Invoicing & Payments

Statements are issued monthly, providing an overview of your account status. If a negative balance appears at the bottom of your statement, this indicates a credit on your account, and no further payment is required. Any credit balance can be applied to future invoices.

If you do not receive a statement, this means there is no outstanding balance or credit on your account. For any further inquiries, please contact bsm@laidleyshs.eq.edu.au

Early Student Departure – Advance Notice

We understand that students may need to leave early for appointments. To facilitate a smooth departure, please email studentabsences@laidleyshs.eq.edu.au in advance if you plan to collect your child early. This allows us to inform their teacher, ensuring the student is at the office at the designated time, minimising wait times and reducing the volume of incoming calls.

Ms Stephanie Hartas 
Business Manager

Wellbeing Hub

Supporting your Child’s Wellbeing

As parents, we all want our children to feel safe, supported, and happy at school. The Wellbeing Hub is a dedicated space designed to provide students with a welcoming environment where they can seek guidance, take a break, or engage in activities that promote positive mental health.

In today’s fast-paced world, students face many challenges—from academic pressures to personal struggles. Having a strong support system at school is essential to their success and overall wellbeing. In 2025, we’ve expanded our team with additional Youth Support Coordinators, allowing us to offer a continual triage service. This ensures that students receive the right support at the right time. Additionally, staff can now proactively and reactively refer students when they identify a need for extra support.

How the Wellbeing Hub Can Support Your Child

• Before School and Break-Time Drop-in Support: Students can visit the Hub to talk to a staff member about any concerns—academic, personal, or social. They can also enjoy quiet time or join in activities.
• Appointments with Staff: Families, students, and staff can book appointments with the members of the Wellbeing Team to discuss student needs and goals.
• Time-Out Spaces: Quiet indoor and outdoor areas are available for students who need a break.
• Social Support: Staff-facilitated activities help students build social skills and confidence.
• Mindfulness & Relaxation: Weekly guided mindfulness sessions will be introduced soon—stay tuned!
• Group Programs: Covering topics like coping strategies, self-esteem, and resilience.
• Resource Library: We are building a collection of helpful resources for students, families, and staff.
• Peer Support: Students can connect with and support each other in a positive, understanding space.

Partnering with Parents for Student Wellbeing

We know that a child’s wellbeing is a team effort between school and home. If you have concerns about your child’s emotional or social wellbeing, we encourage you to connect with us. Together, we can create a nurturing and supportive environment where all students can thrive.

For more information, please contact the school to connect with our Wellbeing Team.

Ms Helen Wittman 
Guidance Officer

Swimming Carnival 2025

Swimming Carnival went off with a bang this year, with no postponement! 

A huge thank you must go to all the staff who helped behind the scenes and turned up on the day to ensure the carnival ran smoothly.

Participation in novelty events, such as volleyball and basketball were a hit, and plenty of students tried their hand at swimming lengths of the pool, for house points or championship points. The house swims drew a crowd also; however, it was a shame to hear that some Lalirra participants swam for other houses and gave them their points instead.

Well, without further ado, the winning house was …. Boomori on 1051 points, closely followed by Wundurra with 864 points. Congratulations Boomori.

Swimming Age Champions:

Touch Camp 2025

Touch Camp went off without a hitch.

The days were warm and humid but without rain to delay any activities. Students were engaged in many aspects of the game of touch, as well as other team building and recreational activities, and of course a trip to the beach. A huge thank you must go to Michael Armstrong, Matt Maticic, Kristy Kreis and all of the staff who helped out behind the scenes or took our supervisions. 

Mrs Kristy Kreis
Sports Coordinator

Science

Exploring the Wonders of Science at Laidley State High School

Science is thriving at Laidley High with students delving into the exciting worlds of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Psychology and Agricultural Practices through hands-on learning and real-world experiences.

Down at the Ag plot, our donkeys, chickens, and sheep continue to be a vital part of our Agricultural Practices program, helping students develop essential skills in animal care and farm management. A key highlight this term is the Year 10 Ag excursion to UQ Gatton, where students will explore biosecurity measures and their crucial role in protecting Australia’s agricultural industry.

Meanwhile, our Year 12 Biology students have already headed to Toohey Forest, where they’ll conduct ecological fieldwork, investigating biodiversity, ecosystems, and environmental sustainability.

With engaging excursions, exciting experiments, and endless discoveries happening across all science subjects, there’s plenty to look forward to in Science at Laidley SHS.

Mrs Amy Moore 
Head of Science and HPE

Instrumental Music

Laidley High Instrumental Music is off to a ripper start this term!

We have our first Chamber Ensemble days this week at Laidley SHS and Lockyer District SHS with our QCE eligible students. We also have last calls for our Instrumental Music tour which is happening in Week 7 term 2 – we’re heading West to St George, Charleville, Roma and Chinchilla to workshop and perform with their students and communities.

In week 6 our Concert Band is heading to Toogoolawah to participate in Collaboration Day with Toogoolawah SHS Concert Band and Lockyer District SHS Concert Band. This is one of our favourite days of the year where we come together with our fellow state school bands and start our rehearsals for tour.

We are also in full swing with rehearsals for our annual Battle of the Bands! Keep Thursday, 29 May free to attend and be ready to be blown away with our astounding Concert, Stage and Rock Bands!!!

We currently have some available time slots for lessons and limited school instruments are also available for hire, if anyone would like to join the Instrumental program and have the opportunity to participate in all the wonderful music making we do.  Students can see anyone in N Block staffroom for a form, or if you have a form at home, please return it to the office as soon as possible so you can be added to the lesson timetable.

Thank you to our wonderful families who have Instrumental students, as always, your support is greatly appreciated.

Mrs Jessica Logan
Instrumental Music Teacher

Art Vibes

Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness! – Anni Albers

The Visual Art department is buzzing with creativity and exploration at every level! The Year 7s are starting off strong by mastering the elements of art. They are already creating such unique landscapes through creative and expressive line. The year 9's cubist self-portraits are intriguing — the multiple viewpoints in that style really pushes students to “think outside the box”. The Year 10's Impressionist still life paintings are bringing some beautiful colour and light into the mix, while the Year 11 VAP students are creating work with a voice through socialist murals. The skateboard deck designs for Year 12, such a cool blend of art and culture. Photos provided are of various experiments and works in progress across the year levels.

Mrs Atlanta Jackson 
Art Teacher

P&C News

P&C AGM Association Meeting

The next P&C Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, 25 March 2025 at 5:30pm in C4 behind the Administration Building. All parents and members of our school community are invited to join us.

The P&C plays a crucial role in providing resources to support and improve outcomes at Laidley State High School. Your involvement is highly valued and can make a meaningful difference.

Please consider volunteering for the P&C by emailing pandc@laidleyshs.eq.edu.au 

School Dental Van

Coming Soon!

The School Dental Service is returning to Laidley State High School in March 2025, FREE dental health appointments
will be available.

Strong, healthy teeth are important for a child’s health and wellbeing. Poor oral care can result in health problems that go beyond the mouth. It’s important that children receive regular dental health check-ups and seek urgent dental care if there is a problem or pain.

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