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A warm welcome to you all, in particular these families new to the unique Brisbane State High School community.
Staff and Students are very proud and privileged to be part of such a fantastic school, which continues to be a leader in State Education.
What sets Brisbane State High apart from other schools? There are a number of key factors which include the following:
- History – which exceeds 100 Years
- 4 Core Unchanged Values – Respect, Excellence, Learning and Inclusivity (Public School Identity)
- Selective Entry – components in academic, sports and culture / arts
- Highly motivated staff with a high level of expertise and commitment
- Consistently high academic results in regional, state and national terms
- Consistently high extra-curricular results in a range of sports and activities in regional, state and national terms (We are the only state school in the Great Public Schools (GPS) and QGSSSA competitions
- Very proud and supportive alumni who continue to give back in so many different ways
- The size of the school and range of subject options and extra-curricular activities available.
The ‘Blue / Red / Blue’ ethos and purpose is evident for all to see as our students continue to strive for excellence on a daily, weekly, termly and annual basis.
I look forward to acknowledging our highest performing students in the upcoming Leadership and Learning Ceremony at QPAC, which involves more than 200 students.
2025 is going to be another exciting and very productive year for the Brisbane State High School community. The school roll is at a record level, last year’s academic results (which will be formalised in the next newsletter) attained new levels of attainment and 30 new and highly motivated teachers are already making a very positive impact.
If you are interested in making a practical contribution to the ongoing success of Brisbane State High School, we would welcome your participation in the vitally important ‘Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association’. Without this group’s voluntary endeavours students would not receive the amazing current range of opportunities which are available to them.
Thank you for ensuring that there has been a keen, smooth and settled start to this 2025 school year. I look forward to meeting with as many of you as possible over the coming weeks.
Warm regards,
Mr Greg Pierce | Executive Principal
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Term 1, 2025 |
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Week 3 |
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Wednesday 12 February |
Student ID Photos |
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Thursday 13 February |
GPS Music Showcase |
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Week 4 |
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Tuesday 18 February |
Leadership & Learning Ceremony |
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Wednesday 19 February |
Interhouse Swimming Carnival |
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Week 5 |
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Wednesday 5 March |
Student ID Photos |
On Sunday 2 February 2025, our School Captains, Prefects, House and Spirit student leaders embarked on their leadership development camp at the Outdoor Education, Kindilan Camp. Zoned as a conservation area in southeast Queensland, the Kindlian camp occupies 220 acres of bushland, where our student leaders had the opportunity to strengthen team connections, through a variety of activities and adventures.
To begin the camp journey the student leaders were asked to consider two things – connections and challenge. To take time to genuinely invest in the opportunity to establish new friendships, build trust and team unity. To challenge themselves by stepping beyond comfort zones, physically and mentally, fostering personal growth and team bonds. It was wonderful to see all student leaders embrace every opportunity, strengthening their character, and sense of connections.
Abseiling, high ladder climbing, flying fox across the lake, team challenge canoeing, bush walking and more! The camp physical challenges pushed all student leaders and teachers to their limits. The leaders faced fears and doubts, teaching them resilience and perseverance. Each challenge was met with encouragement and camaraderie, both from peers and teachers.
But the camp wasn’t all about physical feats. Through team discussions and group activities, student leaders shared individual values, strengths and their visions for the year ahead. The nighttime campfire under the stars invited opportunities for mindful self-reflections, as well as cooking yummy marshmellows, guitar playing and singing.
At the end of camp, the student leaders left with a renewed sense of connections – to themselves and each other. Eager to embrace their leadership responsibilities to the best of their abilities.
Thank you School Captains, Prefects, House and Spirit Leaders. We look forward to seeing you strive and thrive as a strong teams, fostering connections and positive culture throughout our school community.
2025 Student Representative Council
School TV
SchoolTV is a world first, wellbeing platform featuring Dr Michael Carr-Gregg. It is a resource designed to empower, connect, and inform parents/caregivers with credible and sound information with realistic, practical ongoing support strategies. SchoolTV is an independent platform that uses up-to-date content from Australian organisations such as Headspace, Beyond Blue and ReachOut.
SchoolTV topics are conveniently arranged into a number of series. Topics feature interviews with leading youth wellbeing experts and researchers from around the world offering hours of relevant and practical information. Additionally, each topic includes a compilation of related resources from key organisations providing a comprehensive stream of content. Resources include informative fact sheets, articles, apps, books, podcasts, websites, and other videos - all related to a single topic, in one place for easy access!
We encourage all Brisbane State High School parents to visit SchoolTV and explore resources that are available to support you and your child/ren.
Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.
Access this resource by visiting: brisbaneshs.eq.schooltv.me
– Ms Rachel Hobson | Deputy Principal Culture & Engagement
A warm welcome to the 2025 school year from the Extra-Curricular team here at State High. Many of our Term 1 activities have already begun and trials for Term 2 activities will commence in the next few weeks. There are multiple opportunities for students to be involved in a wide range of Cultural, Sporting, and other activities as a student at State High. Below are ways to stay up to date and find out how to get involved.
- Read StudentNet daily
- Sign up to Stack Team App and request access to the activity. eg. BSHS Girls Cross Country, BSHS Boys Swimming etc
- Attend meetings/trials
- Access the Extra Curricular page on our School Website to find out further information about our activities. https://brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au/extra-curricular
District and Regional representation - If your student possesses a high level of skill in a particular sport and would like to trial for District and Regional teams, information about these trials and the process is published on StudentNet and the relevant Team App. Students must nominate through these platforms to be considered eligible to trial for Mt Gravatt District (10-12 Years), Composite District (13-19 Years) and Metropolitan East Region.
Interhouse Swimming Carnival – Our first Interhouse carnival for the year will be held in Week 4 Wednesday February 19 at Musgrave Park Pool. Years 7 to 9 students carnival will be held in Lesson 1 and 2 and Years 10 to12 students in Lesson 3 and 4. Students can nominate through the link provided on StudentNet and nominations close on Friday February 14 at 4pm. Parents/caregivers must also provide their consent through Qparents for your student to participate. (this will be activated when your student nominates for the carnival). Please note: It is a normal school day for students not involved in the swimming carnival.
I would also like to sincerely thank the staff and community members who volunteer their time to coach/manage/supervise our students so that they are able to participate in an Extra Curricular activity. Being part of an extra-curricular group is an excellent opportunity to make connections with other students, staff and community members outside of the classroom and is a way to continue the strong traditions of the Blue, Red, Blue!
If you have any specific questions regarding any of our Extra-Curricular programs, please contact the relevant director listed below.
Cultural Activities – Ms Gabrielle Quin
QGSSSA/Girls Activities - Mr David Miles
GPS/Boys Activities - Mr Keiron Goltz
Brisbane State High School is seeking qualified casual bus drivers to operate our new 64-seater coach.
We offer generous casual rates and advance notice of bookings will be provided. A Blue Card is required and a Criminal History Check will be conducted.
For more information, please contact Ms Amanda Chamberlain (General Manager) at 3291 4111 or via email at employment@brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au
– Mrs Leisa McGiffin | Head of Department Extra-Curricular Activities
Welcome back to all State High families for 2025! I hope everyone has settled into some sort of routine at school and that all information regarding QGSSSA sport at State High is being well-received by our families.
Firstly, I would like to thank all the staff in the Extra-Curricular Office and those involved in coordinating and coaching our students in preparation for the 2025 season. Our program relies on the commitment of volunteers and the success of our students, and the program is a true testament to their dedication. Ahead of another busy year of QGSSSA sports and activities, I extend my thanks to all our volunteers for their contributions.
I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Masters in Charge (MICs) of each sport who graciously devote their time and expertise for our students. Thank you to Ms Natasha Adams (Swimming), Ms Monica Tracy (AFL) and Mr Glen Kranen (Cricket) who have been working throughout Term 4 and the holidays to ensure our programs are ready to go.
Sign-ups, meetings and trials have already commenced for Basketball, Touch Football and Football. I would like to thank Mr Stuart Sprott (Touch Football), Mr Jesse Rigsby-Jones (Football) and Mr Cameron Conlon (Basketball) for their efforts in launching our seasons. This crossover of seasons makes it a very busy time for everyone, so please stay up to date with communication through StudentNet and Team App (after you have signed on for your sport). As always, please come and see us in the Extra-Curricular Office (D Block) if you have any questions or need help.
Best of luck to all for a successful year ahead!
– Mr David Miles | Director of QGSSSA Sports and Girls' Activities
QGSSSA Football
The 2025 Football season has kicked off! This week we held the first of the trials for our Open team who are looking to continue their premiership winning form in 2025.
There were over 40 girls from Year 7 to 12 showcasing the depth of talent across our school. For those new to the Blue-Red-Blue we have produced many international level juniors over the years. Pictured are our Class of 2024 graduates in their first season. Since they started at BSHS three of those have gone on to play Football for their country and one of them was awarded the A-League Rising star away this week for her goal scoring effort for the Brisbane Roar against Wellington Phoenix.
For our young readers, this could be you!
Senior Trials - Senior trials will be held on Tuesday Week 4. Keep an eye on TeamApp and StudentNet for more details.
Intermediate Trials - Intermediate trials will be held on Monday Week 4. 7am start on the oval.
Junior Trials - Junior trials will be held this Monday the 10February with another trial on the 17 February. The trial will be held on the oval. Please wear your HPE uniform, boots, and shinpads.
– Mr Jesse Rigsby-Jones | MIC QGSSSA Football
Girls Rowing
– Mr Tom Herborn | MIC Girls Rowing
We thank all staff, alumni and student volunteers for their contributions to our extra-curricular pre-season trainings, camps and trials. GPS was off to a hectic Week 1 home round, which showed a promising start to our Term 1 fixtures.
Last Friday night, the Senior A Debating team defeated St Josephs College Nudgee, who were the only team to beat them in 2024. Cricket’s First XI earned their first win against St Josephs College Nudgee in their round 1 fixture, a milestone not achieved for over ten years. Year 7 student, Aarav Patel impressed by bowling a five-wicket haul and scoring 53 runs not out for the 7A Cricket team who secured the win as well. The Firsts Volleyball played against St Josephs College Nudgee, losing three sets; the first two sets ended narrowly at 23-25. At the Brisbane Aquatic Centre, the BSHS Swim team raced for the season’s first time, some of which were wearing the new uniform while Rowing’s First VIII finished sixth at their first Regatta at Wyarralong Dam.
As Term 2 sports (including Cross Country, Football, and Tennis) begin their trials and students are encouraged to:
- Visit Student Net and Team App for trials and training details
- If you need assistance signing up to Team App, visit the extra-curricular staff on the D-block ground floor.
– Mr Keiron Goltz | Director of GPS and Boys Activities
BSHS Boys Cross Country
The season promises to be another exciting year for the team with GPS Meets, Cross Country Camp, School Representative Competitions and BSHS Carnivals all occurring throughout the season.
Training will commence in Week 3, Term 1 on Monday 10 February and continue on Wednesday 12 February and Thursday 13 February. The following sessions will be delivered on those days to allow you to plan your training schedule to maximise your performance.
Monday – High Intensity Sessions
Wednesday – High Intensity Sessions
Thursday – Long Run (recovery)
Training Information
Days: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday
Departure time: 7:15am from F Block Sports Centre (Oval Side)
Uniform: BSHS HPE Uniform or BSHS Cross Country Uniform
Return time: 8:15am
Showers are available for training in D Block and F Block
To support the development of team culture and alignment to the team goals it is an expectation that team members attend school training regularly.
Students interested in attending cross country training are required to complete the survey link and attend a training information meeting to be held on Wednesday 5 February in classroom D211.
– Mr Matthew Langmack | MIC Boys Cross Country
BSHS Boys Rowing
Over the holidays, our crews kicked off the racing season with a 5-day camp. Early mornings, long water sessions, and plenty of cohort activities pushed the boys to their limits, but the progress made was undeniable.
At our first Terrace hosted regatta, our crews put in strong performances across their divisions, with standout wins from our Year 9 - 1sts, Year 9 7ths and Year 10 - 1sts. Moving through the season and towards the Head of the River, we must move past the line we drew in previous weeks and strive for improvements.
Justin Theron and Jason McKenzie | Captains of Boats
BSHS Boys Rowing - Queensland State Champions
In January, Brisbane State High School was represented by a strong squad of GPS Rowers at the Queensland State Rowing Centre for the State Championships.
These high-performance athletes from Years 9 to 12 did an exceptional job at the major event. We celebrate the success of these individuals with outstanding performance in the Single Scull events.
Congratulations to Scott McDonald, Year 11, for defending his State title, winning GOLD in the U17 Single Scull.
- Eoghan Johnson: U19 Single Scull – Silver
- Jason Mckenzie: U19 Single Scull – Bronze
- James Hansen: U17 Single Scull - Bronze
BSHS also thrived in the team events, congratulations to these crews!
- Silver: U17 Quad - Scott Mcdonald and James Hansen & Gus Butland-McKeering
- Bronze: U19 Four - Scott Mcdonald, Flynn O'Loughlin, Eoghan Johnson, Jason Mckenzie & Maddie Howard
– Mr Tom Herborn | MIC GPS Boys Rowing
1st XI Cricket
State High 1st XI Cricket team defeated Nudgee College for the first time in over 10 years on the weekend. Stand out performances by Jordan Hook 4/29 and Kethmin Meegasdeniya 3/3 with the ball and Dilshan Wickramasinghe scoring 42 not out.
State High bowled Nudgee College out for 86 runs and only lost 4 wickets enroute to victory. A great start to the season and good luck for IGS this weekend.
– Mr Neil Holmes | 1st X1 Cricket Coach
In 2025, NAPLAN Online will take place at Brisbane State High School between Wednesday 12th of March and Thursday 20th of March. Over the coming weeks you will receive communication regarding our BSHS test schedule for students in Year 7 and 9. Students are supported to achieve at their personal best through exploring a range of targeted strategies in both their curriculum and ARC lessons. NAPLAN allows us to see students’ strengths and areas for development at two key junctures across secondary school. This information allows our teaching teams to support your students with precision.
BeloW is a our ‘one pager’ support document that we use with students. You may like to use this at home over the coming weeks. We also encourage parents and guardians to familiarise themselves with the NAPLAN Online platform by using the public demonstration site available at:
https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site
I would like to say a big thank you to our school community for embracing this change, we now have over 70% of parents logged on and using the application. Managing attendance through the app allows BSHS to reduce the administrative burden on staff and enables us to put our energy in the most important area, supporting our students.
As the system is now fully operational, please familiarise yourself with our revised attendance processes. These will be in full operation from Monday 10 February 2025.
Absence:
- The absence line has now been disabled
- All absences must be entered via an Attendance Note in the Compass app (Instructions below)
- If your student will be absent all day, please amend the time frame to cover the entire day, you do not need to enter a note for each period
- If you are unable to enter a note ahead of time, the system will automatically send you an absence reason during period two
- Failure to complete this step would result in the absence being unexplained.
- If an absence is related to sport, please select “Holiday” from the available options (predefined by Ed Queensland) and write the sport representation information in the comments box.
Late Arrival:
- Depending on which campus students start their day they should head to B Block, or I Block level 2 and sign into our Compass Kiosks.
- Sign is completed using their name and DOB as a password.
- Once a reason for lateness has been selected students head to their first class.
- As a parent you will be notified as your student signs in and asked to validate the reason.
- Failure to complete this step will result in the absence being unexplained.
Early Departure:
- An attendance note MUST be raised in Compass for a student to depart school.
- If an attendance note is not visible in the system, then teacher will not allow your student to leave the room. Schools and teachers have a duty of care to always account for a student’s whereabouts.
- When an attendance note is raised (e.g. a medical appointment). The class teacher will see this on their roll screen. This indicates to the teacher the request to leave is genuine.
- Students should then head to B Block where they will be signed out and given a pass to leave school.
- This process will be active this coming Monday 10February 2025.
Uniform Pass
- Uniform passes are not requestable.
- Any student out of uniform for any reason should present to B Block to receive a uniform pass as they arrive at school.
- We take pride in our uniform and the collective belonging it represents. Students consistently out of uniform and or wearing items that do not match our uniform policy will be tracked through the system and supported by our student services team.
Thank you again for your responsiveness to the change in systems and making the start to the new school year so smooth.
Additional Assistance
If you encounter any issues while logging in, recording attendance notes, or responding to unexplained absences, please contact Lachlan Miller lmill664@eq.edu.au. We are happy to assist you.
– Mr Arthur Cowell | Deputy Principal – Teaching & Learning
In the upcoming weeks, all parents will start receiving invoices for fees and charges relating to their children's subjects for 2025. As there are multiple invoices being sent from our finance system, we ask that you wait to make payment until you receive the final statement which will include all fees. If you paid an Enrolment Confirmation Fee last year, this credit will appear on your statement and will be applied to your invoices.
All parents will be invoiced for the Student Resource Scheme. If you have elected not to participate, we will contact you in the coming weeks to share the list of resources you will need to provide for your child. Once you have provided the resources, the invoice will be removed from your account.
I would encourage any families that would like to make part payments throughout the year against these fees, to make contact with our Accounts Receivable Officer to set up a payment plan. You can email accountsmanagement@brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au
I would also like to remind parents to complete the Textbook & Resource Allowance (TRA) survey, so we know how you would like us to process this government support payment. There are three options available - donate the TRA to the P&C, have the TRA credited to your child's account to reduce your fees or have the TRA refunded to you and pay the whole amount.
If you require any additional information about fees and charges, they can be found on our website under Parent Resources, User Pays Scheme or you can email accounts@brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au.
– Ms Amanda Chamberlain | General Manager
The library always starts with a bang and this year was no exception.
Most of the Year 7 classes have already had a library orientation with the rest to happen on Monday. Please ask your student to show you the three library “apps” they have on their iPad home screen. They are now set up to access our digital and physical resources.
The Junior Book Club was advertised at these sessions for those interested. The first meeting is on Tuesday morning 18th Feb up in the Main Library. They will meet together with the Senior Book Club that day.
State High’s Readers’ Cup competition has also been advertised to Year 7 and 8 students. We will hold our school competition on Tuesday of week 10 in term one (1st April). All students have received an email with a registration form if they are keen to join in the fun. The winning team will go on to represent State High at the CBCA Regional competition. Last year, our team won this competition also, then went on to the State final.
Year 8 will receive lessons in the coming weeks on how to access ePlatform by Wheelers, so that they can borrow and read eBooks. We will also revise the use of CiteMaker which is our school wide referencing tool.
Some of our databases, eBook platforms and electronic resources are pictured below and are available 24/7 through the Library SharePoint page (StudentNet – Departments - Library). This is known as our Library Homepage and has been redesigned to make access easier. All Year 7, 8 and 9 students should have this as a shortcut on their iPad home screens. Senior students are encouraged to do the same.
– Ms Nicole Slinger | Teacher Librarian
Year 7 Family Picnic
Saturday 8 March | 5pm to 8pm | Kurilpa Concourse, I Block
Insurance Notice
The BSHS P&C Association has a proud history of supporting our students to reach their full potential. Each year, the P&C makes a significant financial contribution to the school to assist with this.
Previously, the P&C has provided additional student protection insurance to the students of BSHS. This is not a requirement of P&Cs Qld, nor of Education Queensland. It is also not a requirement of BSHS participation in GPS or QGSSSA sporting activities.
This year, and in line with several other society cost of living increases, the premium for this insurance policy has risen dramatically. The BSHS P&C has investigated options and uptake of this policy and concluded that the cost of the policy premium exceeds the benefits to the school community. As such, at the July General P&C meeting, the membership voted to not renew the student insurance policy for 2025 and to redirect those funds to support the school in other ways.
Please be aware that the current student insurance policy provided by the BSHS P&C Association will expire on Saturday 1 March 2025 and will not be renewed going forwards.
Thank you for your ongoing contributions to the BSHS school community.
Join the P&C Association
The P&C is a volunteer, membership-based organisation that is open to all who support the State High community and the students at State High.
To find out how to join the P&C, or to inquire about what we are all about, please visit the P&C website. We hope that you will find information on this website useful to support you and your child’s journey through secondary school and to maximise your family’s experience.
If you would like to become a P&C member, please complete the P&C Membership Form (download via the button below) and return it via email to admin.officer@bshspandc.org.
Consider joining the P&C Executive Committee in 2025:
P&C General Meetings
The P&C Association meets at 6:00pm on the fourth Monday of each month (except during school holidays/public holidays) in I Block – Room B2, on the Merivale Street Campus. Parking is available via Gate M2 on Merivale Street (refer to map). All members of the school community are welcome to attend.
