Newsletter - Issue 2, 2025

From The Principal's Desk

READY FOR LEARNING 

Last newsletter I spoke about the neuroscience of learning, the capture of this in the 6Phase Model of Student Learning and how we are using this knowledge to inform our practice. 

Before a student can engage in the 6 phases of learning they need to be ready for learning.  Parents and carers play a critical role in this process, and this can be enhanced when parents / carers: 

1. Establish a Routine

• Consistency is key. Set regular wake-up times, meal times, and bedtimes to help children feel secure and understand what to expect each day. This consistency helps them focus on their studies. 

1. Promote Healthy Sleep

• Ensure that children are getting the right amount of sleep. Sleep is critical for cognitive function, focus, and memory retention. 

• Encourage a wind-down routine before bed to help students get enough rest, ideally 8-10 hours depending on their age. 

1. 3. Foster Positive Attitudes Toward Learning

• Show enthusiasm for learning. If parents demonstrate a positive attitude toward education, children are more likely to develop the same mindset. 

• Emphasise the importance of effort, persistence, and resilience rather than focusing solely on grades. Teach children that mistakes are part of the learning process. 

• Demonstrate that learning doesn’t stop after school. 

1. 4. Encourage Healthy Eating Habits

• Provide balanced meals that fuel the brain and body. Include foods that promote brain function, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein-rich foods. 

• Encourage hydration by ensuring your child drinks enough water throughout the day. 

• Limit high sugar foods and drinks and avoid caffeinated drinks. 

1. 5. Limit Screen Time and Distractions

• Set screen time limits and create clear boundaries around when and how much recreational screen use is allowed. 

• Ensure device use is legal and appropriate by limiting and/or actively monitoring access  

When parents and school work together to make sure our students are ready for learning we can expect happier, healthier and more successful students. 

Jackson Dodd
Principal

Year 7

It has been a big fortnight for our Year 7’s. A rain event, NAPLAN and assessments have made Nash a busy place. Well done to the students who have taken all this in their stride and have done the best they can.  Our school values are Respectful, Hardworking, Positive and Resilient. Resilience is the ability to keep going even though things change and problems occur.

Bullying

Every student and staff member has the right to feel safe at school. Bullying and poor behaviour choices need to be called out. Please encourage your child to use the STYMIE website to report so it can be followed up quickly. Some people think that reporting just makes it worse. NOT reporting means the bullying may continue. Students are have sessions around bullying in their CARE classes, as this is a matter that we take seriously here at Nash.

Learning and Wellbeing

Students are learning how to manage change and stress through a variety of strategies. They are also learning how they learn. Last week students spent time testing different ways they can remember information. This is very useful as we come into the assessment part of the term.

Year 7 School Camp: Mimburri - Belli Park

 Our Year 7 camp will be held over 3 days in Term 3 Week 9. It is being held at Mimburi, Belli Park. The aim of the Year 7 camp is to develop a deeper understanding of our school values of Positive, Respectful, Resilient and Hardworking.

Eligibility for camp:

• Students will need to be financial or up to date with their payment plan. Even if you have returned your consent form, you won't receive an invoice if your child is unfinancial.
• Have good standing points and attendance over 80%

Approximate cost: $190- $240

If you have any concerns about your child in Year 7, please contact Ann Porter aport62@eq.edu.au.

Please allow 24 hours for a response unless an emergency.

Year 8

Dear Year 8 Parents and Caregivers,

As we move further into the term, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the fantastic efforts of our Year 8 students and share some key updates.

Minor Behaviours Can Become Major

At James Nash, we place great importance on positive behaviour and fostering a respectful learning environment. Lately, we have noticed some minor behaviours—such as low-level disruptions, lack of organisation, and off-task behaviour—starting to escalate. While these may seem small at first, repeated behaviours can lead to larger issues that impact learning and relationships. We encourage parents to have conversations with their children about the importance of responsibility, respect, and making positive choices. Together, we can support students in building strong habits that will benefit them now and in the future.

Proud of Our Top Blokes!

A huge shout-out to our Year 8 students participating in the Top Blokes Program! This initiative has been a fantastic opportunity for these young men to develop leadership skills, resilience, and emotional intelligence. We are incredibly proud of the way they have embraced this experience and look forward to seeing the impact of their growth in our school community.

Excellent Attendance – 95.5%!

A massive congratulations to our Year 8 students for their commitment to attending school. Our explained attendance data is currently sitting at an impressive 95.5%! This is a fantastic achievement, as we know that regular attendance is directly linked to academic success and student well-being. Let’s keep up the great work and aim even higher as the term progresses!

Here to Support You

As always, I want to remind parents and caregivers that my door is always open. If you have any concerns or simply want to chat about your child’s behaviour, well-being, or next steps in their school journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to support every student in reaching their full potential.

Staffing Update – Week 8

I’d also like to share that I will be on Long Service Leave in Week 8. During this time, Nicole Potter will be stepping in to support Year 8 students and families. Please make her feel welcome, and rest assured that she will be available for any questions or concerns while I am away.

Thank you for your ongoing support in making Year 8 a fantastic year for our students. 

Zak Green
HODSS Year 8

The Dangers of Social Media – Keeping Our Children Safe

In today’s digital world, social media plays a significant role in the lives of young people. While platforms like Snapchat allow students to stay connected with friends, they also present serious risks that parents need to be aware of.

One of the biggest concerns is the anonymity and temporary nature of Snapchat messages. This can encourage inappropriate behaviour, cyberbullying, and even the sharing of harmful content. Unfortunately, some students misuse the platform to send threats of violence, often assuming there will be no real consequences. However, it is important to stress that threats of violence—whether made as a joke or in anger—are against the law and should never be taken lightly.

We urge parents to have open conversations with their children about the dangers of social media and to monitor their online activity. If your child ever receives a threat of violence or sees concerning content online, we encourage you to report it to the police immediately. These actions are illegal, and police will take them seriously to ensure the safety of all students and families.

Together, as a school community, we can help educate our children on responsible social media use and keep them safe from harm. If you need support or further information, please reach out to the school or local authorities.

Thank you for working with us to protect our students.

Greg Cooper
Deputy Principal Years 7 & 8

Year 10

Welcome to Week 8. It has been a pleasure to visit classrooms and the playground over the last few weeks and see that our Year 10 students have transitioned into being Seniors and are demonstrating being hard-working, showing resilience, being positive and being respectful.

Year 10 Stars

Congratulations to Bella Lahey who has been selected by Sports Travel Australia to travel to Canada in 2025 to represent Australia in Athletic Throwing. We also want to congratulate Cooper Laycock who has also been selected to represent Australia in Canada. This is a great opportunity to compete at a high level sports event against athletes from all over the world.

Student Ambassadors

Congratulations to our Middle School Captains and ambassadors for a wonderful start to the year. The captains have already taken part in a range of leadership activities.

Uniform

With the weather starting to cool down we want to remind parents and caregivers that students are required to wear a school jumper to school. This includes the school jacket or jumper. These can be purchased from Lowes in Gympie Central.

White Card

A reminder that out first White Card course of the Year is being run on the 2^nd of April. Students who were interested in participating in the course have already received a permission note. This permission note needs to be signed and returned back to school as soon as possible. Invoices can be paid through the front office counter.

Senior School

It will be a busy few weeks leading up to end of term for our Year 11 & 12 students with assessment – both exams and assignments scheduled.  Exams requiring extended time will commence next week; the exam timetable is available on the school website.  A reminder that students need to apply for an extension and provide evidence to support the application if they are unable to attend the scheduled exam.  Exams take priority over attending work placement, TAFE etc.

For assignments, students are required to meet Draft Due Dates and ensure they submit the final assessment by the Due Date.  Students will receive a result based on their Draft if they fail to meet the due date and they do not have an approved extension.  If no draft has been submitted students will be awarded a NR (No Result) for the assessment and this means they will also receive a NR for the entire UNIT.  Each UNIT comprises two assessment pieces.  QCAA guidelines for awarding results in senior specify students are required to complete all assessment for senior subjects in order to receive a result for UNITS.  Each school subject has 4 UNITS over the two years – UNITS 1 & 2 in Year 11 and UNITS 3 & 4 in Year 12. 

Assessment Calendars displaying Due Dates are published at the beginning of each semester and emailed out to students and parents.

Report Cards will be issued at the beginning of Week 2 in Term 2 and parent teacher meetings are scheduled for Tuesday 13 May.  Information on how to book a meeting with your student’s teacher will come out with the Report Card.

2024 State School Leavers Survey

The Queensland Government is following up on Year 10, 11 and 12 students who left school in 2024, before completing Year 12.  Students will receive a letter with a personalised link to complete a 5-minute survey regarding their activities since leaving school. Students may also be contacted by email or phone and have the chance to win an iPad for participating. Please encourage them to take part. If their contact details have changed, please update with the interviewer or forward the instructions so they can participate. For more information, visit www.qld.gov.au/nextstep/ or telephone toll free on 1800 068 587.

PERSONAL MOBILITY DEVICES

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-devices/personal-mobility-devices 

Schools must be compliant with Qld law associated with these devices.  As such any student under 16 should not be riding to or from school without being directly and constantly supervised by an adult whilst doing so. 

Students who are supervised by an adult or are over 16 may commute to and from school via this means. 

Storage of these devices for age-appropriate students is limited to outdoor facilities (bike racks) and students are required to ensure the device is secured to their satisfaction.  School takes no responsibility for the devices whilst on the grounds. 

Chess Competition

Students shine in Chess Competition

On Monday 24 February, a small group of James Nash SHS students travelled to Gympie South State School to compete in the Secondary Division of the Inter-School Chess Competition. 

Students from Year 8 – 11 competed against their peers from multiple schools within the Gympie Region, with one of our teams achieving second place.  

This team included students from a range of grade levels. Chess Coach Ms Kate Vietheer was very impressed with her team’s performance and has expressed a desire to field a larger team for the next Inter-School competition.

Chess Club is open to all students from Year 7 – 12.  They meet each Wednesday at first break in J1.  All interested students are invited to join.

Why Play Chess?

Not only is playing chess fun and engaging, but it provides students with many benefits including:

• Fostering critical and creative thinking
• Strengthening problem solving skills
• Providing practice at making accurate and fast decision under time pressure
• Learning how to select the ‘best’ choice from a range of options.

A big thank-you to Miss Kate Vietheer for organising this opportunity for our students.

The Arts

2025 Academy of Creative Arts Program - Updates from Our Ensembles!

Creative Arts Captain: Lilly Olsson
Hello everyone! ACA 2025 is officially up and running, and as your Creative Arts Captain, I couldn’t be more excited to welcome both returning and new faces to our program. It's amazing to see so many passionate students coming together to explore and create! I look forward to working with all of you and creating a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable to share ideas and collaborate. The year ahead is full of opportunity, and I’m thrilled about what’s to come.

Here's an update from each of our amazing ensembles and what they've been up to so far:

InterACT: by Ensemble Leader, Bethany Graham
Our InterACT group has been having a blast! The young actors have been developing their skills through quick-thinking improvisation games, which is really helping everyone think on their feet. We are also in the process of choosing what we want to present at the end-of-year ACA showcase, so it’s an exciting time for us as we brainstorm ideas! Stay tuned for what we have in store.

Dance: by Ensemble Leader, Hayley Gray
This year, our ACA dance group has welcomed both new and returning dancers, and the energy has been incredible! New friendships are blossoming, and it’s been great to see everyone helping one another. We begin each lesson with a group warm-up, then break into smaller groups to focus on different styles. With six dances in total — including hip hop, contemporary, jazz, disco, and musical theatre — we are working hard to prepare for our end-of-year concert in Term 3, Week 6. Thank you to everyone for your enthusiasm, and we can’t wait to share our hard work with you all!

Visual Art: by Ensemble Leader, Aneeka Bailey-Bauer
Visual Art at ACA has been off to a great start! We've spent the past few lessons diving into acrylic painting, and it’s been fantastic to see everyone enjoying the process, whether they’re complete beginners or more experienced artists. Our group is also a wonderful space for everyone to connect, share ideas, and make new friends. It’s been an inspiring and collaborative environment, and I can’t wait to see where the year takes us!

EXCEL: by Ensemble Leader, Eden Levy
I’m thrilled to share some exciting updates from the EXCEL program! Over the past few weeks, our Year 10, 11, and 12 drama students have been engaging in collaborative exercises to build their dramatic skills. This program is student-led, with guidance from Mrs. Perren and Miss Stevenson. The energy and creativity in the group have been outstanding, and everyone is eagerly working toward devising and presenting a performance later this year. It’s been a fantastic learning experience, and we can’t wait to see it all come together!

Fusions: by Ensemble Leader, Nate Allen
ACA Fusions is still finding its rhythm, as it’s a new program this year, but we’re making great progress. Our primary focus has been on building a strong vocal group, and we’ve also started working with a small band. We begin each class with a vocal warm-up, then break off into either band practice or further vocal work. A few students are eager to explore the band side of the program, and we’re excited to see that develop as the year progresses. Despite a few early growing pains, everything is running smoothly, and we can’t wait to see how Fusions evolves in the coming months!

JAAM: by Ensemble Leader, Harper Bargwanna
In the short time we've been part of ACA JAAM, it has been an amazing experience. We've played a variety of games to get to know each other and learn how to step into character. Miss Fox has made these activities both fun and valuable, helping us develop our acting skills in an engaging way. One of our favourite games, Wink Murder, challenged us to fully embrace a character—when winked at, we had to perform a dramatic death! Overall, ACA JAAM has been an incredible experience, and we’re excited for what’s to come.

That’s all for now! I’m so proud of everything the ACA 2025 program has already accomplished, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for all our ensembles. Let’s keep the creative momentum going and make this year one to remember!

Until next time,
Lilly Olsson
Creative Arts Captain, ACA 2025

AIM Year Progress Update

Concert Band
The year has started strong, with many new Year 7 students adjusting to high school life. We are focusing on upcoming performances at bootcamp and ANZAC Day. Everyone is working hard, with Mrs. Morrow guiding us toward our goals.

Stage Band
After Mr. Smith's departure, Mrs. Morrow has taken over Stage Band. We’ve been practicing a range of pieces, including “The Final Countdown,” to suit all skill levels. With new members joining, especially in the rhythm section, we look forward to future performances.

Strings
The string ensemble has been rehearsing weekly to perfect our storytelling through music. We’re focusing on pieces that evoke strong emotions, such as "Creatures" (haunting), "Entrance of the Dragon" (powerful), and "Ashokan Farewell" (melancholic). With new members joining, we’re working on achieving balance between upper and lower strings. Under the guidance of Miss Smith, we are refining key musical elements, including tuning, timing, timbre, and technique, in preparation for an upcoming bootcamp to enhance our skills.

Lark
Lark has welcomed new members this year, and they are settling in well. We practice weekly and are learning a variety of songs in preparation for potential performances. We are also excited about our new uniforms, which are on the way.

Science

Year 9 & 10 students recently had the opportunity to compete in the NSW Science and Engineering Challenge at the Gympie Pavilion. The event is coordinated by the Mind-Set Do team at the University of the Sunshine Coast.  It was an excellent opportunity for students to make connections between classroom science and solving real world problems. We had a team of 32 students that participated in activities such as bridge building and wind turbine construction, competing against numerous schools from across the Sunshine Coast Region.  Stand out representatives on the day were those students completing the eco-habitat challenge. Well done to all the students who participated and enjoyed the challenge of competing against other academic students in hands-on STEM activities.

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INTAD

Budding young engineers are putting their skills to the test in an exciting mousetrap-powered vehicle challenge. Students are learning valuable lessons in planning, materials, limitations, and time constraints as they compete to achieve the longest distance.

Among the standout participants, Declan and Riley have taken an innovative approach, thinking outside the box in their design to maximize performance. Their creative problem-solving and determination highlight the spirit of the competition.

The project not only fosters technical skills but also encourages teamwork, resilience, and ingenuity. With students pushing boundaries and refining their designs, the race for the longest distance is heating up, proving that young minds are more than capable of tackling real-world engineering challenges

Gympie Trade Training Centre

Bella Young Secures School-Based Apprenticeship with Keba Engineering

Congratulations to Bella Young on securing a school-based apprenticeship with Gympie-based company Keba Engineering! Bella’s dedication and hard work during her work placement impressed the team, with her skill set, workmanship, and positive attitude earning her this fantastic opportunity.

Keba Engineering has a strong history of supporting young talent, having previously taken on two other students from the Gympie Trade Training Centre (GTTC). Bella now follows in their footsteps, gaining valuable hands-on experience while continuing her education.

This achievement highlights Bella’s commitment to her future career and the importance of workplace learning opportunities. Her success is a testament to both her efforts and the strong industry connections fostered by the GTTC.

Well done, Bella! We wish you all the best as you take this exciting step toward your future in engineering.

Finance News

Student Resource Scheme invoices have now been sent out to families who have returned the Student Resource Scheme Agreement form.  If you have not received an invoice, would like more information or would like to organise a payment plan please contact the Finance Officer on 54806333. 

Due Dates

• Due dates will depend on your previously chosen payment option. You have been invoiced accordingly.

Our preferred method of payment is via Bpoint or QParents.

To pay an instalment, please use your original invoice, click on the BPoint hyperlink in the bottom left-hand corner of your invoice and change the amount to be paid before entering your payment details. 

Alternatively, you can pay via QParents or the Qkr app.

Debtor Statements

Debtor Statements will be generated at the end of each month.  This assists parents and carers to track their current invoices.  Please pay invoices by the due date.  Please do not use a Debtor Statement BPOINT link to pay an invoice. Please use the BPOINT hyperlink on the original emailed invoice to make a payment or use QParents.

If you have a credit on your student/s account this will be represented as a negative figure e.g.

 -$25.00.

If you have a credit and would like to apply it to an existing invoice, please:

• Reply to the email attaching the invoice and request the credit be applied, you can then pay the balance owing using your existing invoice; or
• Call our Accounts Receivable Officer, Sandy Simpson.

Who receives the invoices and debtor statements?

Only one parent or carer can receive the invoices and debtor statements.  This will be the parent or carer who was nominated as the debtor on enrolment – the person who completed the Student Resource Scheme Participation Agreement.  If you wish to change this, please complete a Change of Details form available from the office.

More Information

For more information on the Student Resource Hire Scheme please see the school’s website: https://jamesnashshs.eq.edu.au/enrolments/resource-scheme

If you are experiencing financial difficulty and would like to discuss setting up a Payment Plan, please come into office or email ssimp66@eq.edu.au. We would be happy to assist.

Community Notices