Foundation Day and HPE Centre Opening

The HPE Centre was opened by Member for Logan, Linus Power on Friday 13 June. It was delightful to see recently retired principal Mr Lynch visit the school for the opening. The Foundation Day Race was an enormously exciting conclusion to the day and I thank all those involved in the organisation of the day.

Community Movie Night

Last Friday evening we saw over 100 parents and students attend a community movie evening at the HPE Centre. It was inspirational to watch our Year 11 and 12 students serving the College community in such a unified and cohesive manner. I congratulate them on giving their time to bring the community together. Thank you to Mrs Parer for her overall organisation of the event and to Mrs Lee-Perkins, Mr Pope and Mr Ablitt for their commitment.

International Golf

Three of our Senior students are representing Hills at a prestigious world rated event in Jakarta in Indonesia this week. We wish them every success and know that they will do their best to represent the College with pride.

Under Eights Day

Under Eights Day was another very exciting event in what has been an action-packed fortnight for the College. There were some incredibly engaging activities available for our students to participate in. The activities were all linked to this year’s organising theme. The day was a huge success, and I thank all the staff, students and parents who worked together to make the event a success.

The theme for Under Eights Week 2025 is 'Unleashing Scientific Thinking Through Play'. This highlights the formative nature of children's play in these early years, as they investigate the world around them and begin to develop foundational skills such as inquiry and problem-solving, which play such vital roles in later STEM study.

It’s widely recognised that the first eight years of development are crucial. This is the time when children build the foundations of their view of the world, as well as themselves. It’s vital during these early years to create positive associations with learning, and it’s the belief of the organisers at ECA Queensland that this is usually best achieved through play.

Play is such an effective tool for learning in the early years. This is why Under Eights Week is so important - it highlights the importance of play-based learning and gives us all the opportunity to think of creative ways to help children enjoy learning.

Children are born investigators, and the aim of Under Eights Week is to nurture that natural curiosity and playfulness. We can achieve this by providing a variety of exciting experiences that offer learning opportunities, which is what Under Eights Week is all about.

Primary Music Concert

Our Primary musicians were in fine form this week with delightful performances being given by students right across the Primary school. Thank you to Mr Gratton and Dr Pope for the work that they are doing to promote The Arts across the College.

Vinnies Winter Sleepout

This Friday will again see our Year 11, and 12 students volunteer to sleep out in the cold for a night in support of the Vinnies Winter Sleepout. I am so impressed to see our students again willing to serve in such a positive and socially just manner.

P and F Initiatives

Don’t forget that the P and F is incredibly active at present with three events all running simultaneously. The P and F are running stalls at Under Eights Day this Friday, and selling Crazy Socks for our Crazy Sock Day on the last day of term. Finally, they are running the bar at the upcoming rodeo on 21 June. This rodeo is a major event on the P and F calendar.

The P and F is always looking for volunteers to assist them with their fundraising initiatives. Every hand helps and even if you can only spare a few hours, it will be greatly appreciated.

Year 10 SET Planning

Our Year 10 students are taking another step towards their move into Year 11 and the business end of their schooling. The SET planning process is a dynamic one where students, parents and staff work together to develop a plan for each students Year 11 and Year 12.

Upcoming Traffic Changes

Upcoming roadworks on Johanna Street – what Hills College families need to know.

We’d like to inform our school community about upcoming traffic changes on Johanna Street
in Jimboomba, as part of the Mount Lindesay Highway upgrade being delivered by the
Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR).

Construction works on Johanna Street are scheduled to begin on Saturday 14 June and will
continue for approximately four weeks. These essential upgrades will improve the street’s
infrastructure and require changes to access arrangements during the construction period.

Traffic changes:

• Saturday 14 June to early July 2025 – all lanes will be closed on Johanna Street for
approximately 500 metres, south from College Drive.

• From early – mid July 2025, a northbound lane closure will be in place between College Drive and the Mount Lindesay Highway.

Hills College access arrangements:

• Saturday 14 June to Monday 30 June 2025 - access to Johanna Street via Cusack Lane will be temporarily closed for construction. Access will be via the Mount Lindesay Highway only

• Monday 14 June to Thursday 19 June 2025 - all entry and exit to Hills College will be via the main driveway (southern driveway)

• Sunday 22 June to Monday 30 June 2025 - all vehicles must enter and exit Hills College via the second (northern) driveway only.

Upcoming Calendar Events

Term 2 Week 9

Tuesday 17 June - Ipswich Junior Dance Eisteddfod

Wednesday 18 June - Staff vs Students Touch Football

Thursday 19 June - Term 2 concludes

Thursday 19 June - End of Term Crazy Sock Day

Friday 20 June - Student free day

Term 3 Week 1

Monday 14 July - Student Free Day

Tuesday 15 July - Term 3 commences

Wednesday 16 July - Rivers Netball Gala Day

Thursday 17 July - Beaudesert Zone Athletics

Mr Darren Parks
Principal & CEO

darren.parks@hills.qld.edu.au

As we approach the end of another vibrant term, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation for the remarkable students, staff, and families who make our Primary School such a special place to belong. Term Two has been filled with enriching learning experiences, joyful events, exciting excursions, and meaningful incursions, and none of it would be possible without the unwavering commitment of our dedicated staff. I invite all families to take a moment to thank our incredible educators for the care, compassion, and professionalism they bring to their roles each day.

It is with mixed emotions that we farewell our beloved Year 3 teacher, Mrs Nardine Roberts, as she finishes up with us to begin a well-earned period of long service leave. Over the next 18 months, Mrs Roberts will be taking time to travel and enjoy a richly deserved break after years of tireless service and commitment to the students of Hills. She will be dearly missed by colleagues, students, and families alike, and we wish her every happiness on the adventures ahead. Thank you, Mrs Roberts, for everything. Safe travels!

In the spirit of our College values, I also want to extend a special shout-out to Mrs Kate Balloo, one of our Year 5 parents, for her beautiful act of compassion. Inspired by the courageous journey of one of our students, Luka Gabriele, who is bravely undergoing treatment for leukemia, Kate reached out to offer a meaningful gesture of support. Her sister-in-law, Stephanie McNeil, is the author of the children’s book Where Is Ellie’s Hair?, a story written to support young children navigating hair loss due to medical treatment. Kate generously gifted a copy of the book to Luka and his family, complete with a heartfelt personal message, and also donated a copy to our Resource Centre for others to share. This act of kindness reflects the very best of who we are at Hills, a community that lifts each other up and lives with compassion. Thank you, Kate, for reminding us of the strength and goodness that live in our school.

As we move toward the final weeks of Term 2, I want to sincerely thank all students for their effort and engagement, and all staff for their continued excellence. I hope the upcoming break offers rest, renewal, and precious family time.

Mr Matt Noel
Head of Primary

matt.noel@hills.qld.edu.au

ICAS Competitions – A Chance for Our Students to Shine 

We’re excited to offer Hills students the opportunity to take part in the prestigious ICAS academic competitions this year. These optional assessments are a great way for students to challenge themselves and showcase their talents across a range of subject areas.

What is ICAS?
ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is an online academic competition that assesses higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills in:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science
• Writing
• Spelling
• Digital Technologies

All students who participate will receive a printed certificate and an online results report. High-achieving students may also be awarded an ICAS medal.

How to Get Involved
Participation is entirely voluntary and open to all interested students. Each subject has a small entry fee, which covers the cost of assessment materials and administration.

To register your child, visit:
👉 ICAS Parent Payment Portal
🔐 Access Code: SYB388
🕐 Registrations close Monday 28 July at 11:59pm 

Please note: All payments are made directly to ICAS Assessments. The school is unable to provide refunds or make changes once payments are processed.
More information about ICAS can be found here: https://icasassessments.com/products-icas

Privacy Information
ICAS is delivered by Janison Solutions Pty Ltd, who take privacy and data security seriously. They only collect personal information required to complete the assessments and will not use or share your child’s information for any marketing purposes or with overseas organisations without consent.

To view the full privacy policy, visit: https://www.janison.com/privacy-policy/.

We’re proud to support our students in extending themselves academically through opportunities like ICAS. If you have any questions about registration or the competition, please contact me.

Kind regards,
Mr Stuart Ablitt
Deputy Head of Primary & Head of IB Programmes

Semester 1 Reporting

Your child’s Semester One report will be available via Parent Orbit during the mid-year holiday break. Our Semesterly Reports aim to inform you about your child’s progress in Maths, English, Units of Inquiry, and some of our specialist subjects. This information demonstrates your child’s achievement, focusing on what they know, understand, and can do, appropriate to their year level. We also focus heavily on the learner, aligning with our College values and learner profile attributes. 

Secondary Insights- Reflecting on a Semester of Success and Looking Ahead 

As we approach the final weeks of Term 2, the Secondary school continues to move from strength to strength, with students, staff and families working together to support a rich and vibrant learning environment. It is a joy to walk through learning environments and to see students engaged, challenged and inspired by rich and varied learning experiences.

We have now finalised our SET (Senior Education and Training) Planning meetings for our current Year 10 students. These sessions have been invaluable in shaping meaningful and individualised pathways into senior schooling and beyond. Thank you to all families who attended these sessions and supported students in making informed decisions about their future subject selections.

One recent highlight celebrated the achievements of our Science and Engineering Challenge participants, who displayed creativity, collaboration and scientific thinking during an intense and enjoyable competition. Likewise, a number of our Secondary students participated in our most recent musical performance, showcasing their talents and commitment to the arts in what was a truly uplifting and polished production.

Our students also performed impressively in our recent Spelling Bee Competition, demonstrating a high level of literacy, vocabulary knowledge and focus. Congratulations to all participants and finalists.

On the academic front, we are currently in the QCAA’s provisional-to-confirmation phase for internal assessments in our General subjects. We now await final confirmation of results and commend our teachers for their diligence in preparing robust, quality-assured assessment tasks.

Reporting for Semester 1 will be finalised and distributed to families at the end of this term. These reports will offer insight into student progress, achievement and areas for growth. We encourage families to review these results together and to discuss goals for the start of Semester 2.

We are also in the process of undertaking our Year 7 enrolment interviews for students commencing in 2026. It is a privilege to meet future families and share with them the vision, opportunities and the Hills College way that make our Secondary School a place of belonging, excellence and building futures together.

As we head toward the mid-year break, I want to thank our students for their diligence and engagement throughout this semester and our staff for their continued professionalism and care. A special thank you to you as families of our College, for your continued support as this support plays a vital role in every success we celebrate. I wish all families a restful and safe holiday.


Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton
Head of Secondary

julie-anne.skelton@hills.qld.edu.au

College LAWS Awardees

Working with Diligence
Consistently working with diligence in Visual Art and creating a clay pot to a very high standard.
Mia Gilmeister-Messer 


Striving for success 

In Visual Art, Oliva added a lot of detail when creating her clay pot.
Olivia Hollaway

Working with Diligence and Success
Abbie produced a very successful 3 colour reduction lino print for her Visual Art assessment
Abbie Kallend

Diligence and Success
Despite going to TAFE during some Art learning sessions, Coby worked very hard to catch up and create a successful lino print

Coby Perrin 

Striving for success

Abby-Rose Cox continues to work with Diligence in her learning outcomes as well as her role as Arts Ambassador

Ms Caroline Barnard 

Visual Art Teacher

Live with Compassion:

Tina Butcher - Demonstrating compassion by offering help before it's needed.

Braxton Mairleitner – Demonstrating respect and friendliness through cheerful greetings

Miranda Roebig - Greeting teachers and classmates with a smile

Charlotte Brunning - Demonstrating respect and friendliness through cheerful greetings


Working with Diligence:

Caoimhe Stone – Tenacity in all areas of Mathematics

Athena Lavers-McBain – Tenacity in Humanities

Bishamber Kaur – Focus and dedication to classwork

Gursirat Randhawa - Focus and dedication to classwork


Striving for Success:

Jaxon Bruce – Accuracy in Mathematics his Problem-Solving and Modelling Task (PSMT)

Isabella Gabriel - Accuracy in Mathematics PSMT

Reid McManus - Accuracy in Mathematics PSMT

Madeleine Vesey - Accuracy in Mathematics PSMT

Raphael Brunning – Completing Humanities checkpoints with care and precision

Jyla Mollard - Completing Humanities checkpoints with care and precision

Yuvraj Randhawa - Completing Humanities checkpoints with care and precision

Ms Krista Klein 

Humanities Teacher

English Ambassadors Report- Spelling Bee + Write a Book in a Day

Recently, the English Ambassadors led the Spelling Bee initiative to its inaugural implementation. Participation exceeded our expectations, and we hope that many students are eager to participate in the event next year! Congratulations to all our year group winners: Gursakhi Kaur (Years 7-8), Ryan Samuels (Years 9-10), and Sasha Petrovic (Years 11-12).

Fortunately, if you are keen on being involved in another literary competition, you don’t have to wait. The ‘Write a Book in a Day’ competition is exactly what it sounds like – a small group of literary and artistic students join forces to create a picture book that will be read to children in hospital oncology wards around Australia. The event also involves students raising money towards the Kid’s Cancer Project.

If you are interested in participating, speak to your English teacher/Ambassadors, or email Ms Goyne at Jacinta.goyne@hills.qld.edu.au. Further announcements will be made regarding the competition soon.

(Attached Photo Years 11-12 spelling bee contestants awaiting Round 1!)

Lachlan Simpkins
English Ambassador

Teaching and Learning- Technologies Faculty 

As Term Two draws to a close, it has been wonderful to observe the range of learning experiences being undertaken by students in the Technologies Learning Area.

In Design Technologies, Year 7 students have been engaged in designing preferred alternatives to a school back-pack for transporting learning materials around the campus. Some of the inventive solutions have included motorised carriers and mobile lockers with some including solar-powered device charging facilities! Year 8 students explored food specialisations by designing and preparing lunch products, including developing sustainable packaging solutions for their design.

The Year 9 Design Technology class investigated the context area of Engineered Systems. The students built a small-scale model car, in which they 3D printed a vehicle chassis and added electric powered DC motors. Students experimented with different gearing configurations to test their effects on acceleration, speed and towing power. Our Year 10 students have taken on the challenge of designing spaces and architectural environments in response to a client brief. The students have applied design thinking to this challenge and have developed a range of drawing and visualisation skills, including hand drawn and digital illustration and modelling.

In Digital Technologies, Year 7 students have become web developers, creating a multi-page website featuring navigation, images and text. The students have developed knowledge and skills in working with HTML, CSS and even delving into the advanced features of the Bootstrap framework. 

Year 8 has explored the world of autonomous vehicles as they designed and programmed a robotic vehicle to simulate the performance of a task responding to a real-world need. Students decomposed their problem, designed possible solutions and coded their robot to perform the desired task. 

Year 9 have also experimented with robotics by programming a robot to solve and find its way out of a maze. To solve this challenge, students worked with a range of technologies, including line and ultrasonic sensors, as well as AI vision lenses. 

Our Year 10 students continued their immersion in the world of game design as they worked in teams to collaboratively plan and create a functioning video game representing the theme of ‘Journey’. The students worked in a variety of platforms including Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot and Game Maker. Their games reflect a range of styles, including 2D pixel art, platformer games as well as 3D game environments.

Mr Chrisopher Borg

Head of Faculty Technologies

Science and Engineering Challenge

On Wednesday 4 June, thirty two (32) of our Year 10 students attended the 2025 Science and Engineering Challenge coordinated by Griffith University at Park Ridge State High School.

The Science and Engineering Challenge was a day-long competition designed to provide Year 10 (or Year 9) students with a positive experience of science and engineering. A maximum of 8 schools competed against each other at one venue.

Each school ‘team’ was divided into eight groups of between 2 to 4 students per group. Each group then did either one full- day activity, or two half-day activities (i.e. one activity in the morning session, and a different one in the afternoon session). Students were awarded points for each activity and the school with the most cumulative points at the end of the day was declared the winner. The highest scoring winning schools from each region/zone will subsequently compete against each other for a place in the state and perhaps, the national final.

Hills College did exceptionally well and each participant was congratulated for their approach to this competition. Well done. Mrs Skelton was so proud of eveyone.

Mr Chris Schultz

Head of Faculty Science

Student Success

Connor Kirmond has been selected for a school-based Chef Apprenticeship over at Jimboomba house which will roll over to a full time Apprenticeship position after he graduates. Amazing opportunity!

FUTSAL club invite

We wanted to bring to your attention a social mixed Futsal competition that launching in Term 3 which may be of any interest to our students, staff and parents.

2 competitions, maximum 4 teams per competition.

• Juniors (ages 8-12) Tuesdays 6pm and 6:45pm games
• Seniors (ages 13-99) Thursdays 6pm and 6:45pm games

Cost:

• $70 annual individual registration fee for all multisports programs (dodgeball is Term 4 sport)
• $10 per player per game

Location

• South Rock SS Hall

Other Details

• Onsite kiosk
• 6 round weeks, with Week 7 being finals of 1vs2 and 3vs4
• 5 aside, unlimited substitution players available.
• Mixed gender competition
• Minimum 2 people of each gender required on main court at all times.
• Teams to officiate games

Individuals to register via our website www.yarrablibasports.com.au

Please do not hesitate to make contact with the association should you require more information.

Woodhill Billy Cart Derby

The Woodhill Billy Cart Derby is back this year along with the Woodhill State School Fete, to be held on Saturday 26 July 2025, 10am to 1pm. 

Woodhill State school would like to invite you and our community to join the fun!

Derby early bird registration is now open via our website at www.woodhillbillycartderby.com.au

School Fete entry is free, where fundraising alley will be run by the kids, with BBQ and bake stall, plant sale, face painting, games, performances, animals and prizes

If you have any questions or would like to be involved in any other way please get in touch with the President, Margot Becker. 

Contact details are:

Phone: 0452 393 495

Email: woodhillpandc@outlook.com

Healthy Minds App

The Raising Healthy Minds app is a free, personalised, pocket resource to help parents and carers raise confident, resilient children. Co-designed with parents and experts and funded by the Australian Government, Raising Healthy Minds aims to support children’s social and emotional wellbeing with evidence-based information. 

You’ll find information on topics like dealing with worries and making friends, as well as ideas for day-to-day life, like creating family routines, looking after yourself as a parent, and building strong relationships. 

The app offers a mix of quick-read articles, videos and animations aimed at parents and carers of children aged 0-12 years. You can tailor information to the age of your child and opt-in to receive helpful tips.

Raising Healthy Minds provides simple-to-use information at your fingertips with clear actions you can start today. 

Download from Google Play or the App Store or go to raisingchildren.net.au/rhm to learn more and raise a healthy mind 🧠 😊

Bonjour Chloe!

Last week, we welcomed Chloe to Hills, all the way from France! Chloe is here for a 10-week exchange, and she has joined Year 10. Special thanks to Ella H and Olivia R for making Chloe feel welcome. Here is what Chloe has to say about her first week at Hills...

Hello!

My name is Chloe DANNEELS and I am a fifteen years old girl. I am an exchange student from France.

I am happy to say that I’m here, at Hills College, for a three-month exchange program in Year 10.

I chose to come to Australia to do my exchange because I’ve always been curious about your culture, your way of life, and of course, your amazing nature and wildlife! I have always dreamt about coming and travelling here. I'm also here to improve my English, discover how school works in another country, and make new friends. For me, Australia was the perfect place to live the experience I will only live once.

In France, school is so different, for example, we don’t wear uniforms, our school days are longer, and we usually don’t change classrooms as often. So being here is really exciting for me, it will a way to step out of my usual French school routine and experience how school works here.

I am exciting to learn more about your culture and your way of thinking.

Urgent Homestay Request!

I am urgently seeking new homestay families for the busy Term 3 period. If you have a spare room with a bed or two, please reach out to me! You can call me on 04019438330, message me, or email vanessa.newbery@hills.qld.edu.au. 

Homestay is a rewarding experience for your family. Visitors are here for a cultural and educational experience, usually for a week or two. Allowances are paid to cover the cost of meals and transport, of $350 per week, per visitor. 

Mrs Vanessa Newbery 

Head of International Programs

Under 8s Day - international focus

Today, a small band of internationally-minded students helped at Under 8s Day, promoting critical thinking and cultural understanding. Thanks to SeoYoon, WooSeok, Chloe, Olivia and Billy for supporting our youngest learners with a cultural matching game. We were impressed by the knowledge of our little people!

Q: What do you call a chilly student?

P & F Term Highlights & What’s Ahead

It’s been a busy and exciting term for the Hills P & F, with plenty of projects, events, and support initiatives already rolled out—and more to come!

Mother’s Day Stall
Our Mother’s Day Stall was a huge success, thanks to the incredible support from our student community. It was incredibly heartwarming to see the joy on students’ faces as they carefully selected gifts for the special women in their lives.

Netball Uniforms Delivered
We were proud to sponsor the new netball uniforms, which have now been delivered and are already in action on the court. It’s wonderful to see our players representing Hills in style!

Subway Cookie Drop
Our Subway cookie drop brought smiles to our high school students, offering a sweet moment of connection. We’re always grateful for opportunities to engage positively with our student body.

Athletics Merchandise
To coincide with the Athletics Carnivals, limited-edition sports merchandise was released—and it was a hit! House spirit was in full swing as students, staff, and families snapped up the exclusive gear. 

Movie Night
The P & F also supported the Movie Night with free popcorn for all attendees—a small treat to make a memorable night even better.

Crazy Sock Fundraiser
Hills College will be holding a Crazy Sock Day on Thursday 20 June—a colourful, school-led initiative that encourages students to wear their brightest, boldest, and most mismatched socks to show off their school spirit!

To support the day, the P & F has had on offer a fun range of crazy socks for sale at the Adventure Playground this past week. The response was fantastic, and we loved seeing so many vibrant socks stepping up in support!

Missed out? Don’t worry—we’ll be announcing more details about upcoming sock sales soon, so stay tuned for your chance to grab a pair and support future P & F projects and events.

Under 8s Day
Looking ahead, we’re excited to be part of Under 8s Day, where we’ll be hosting engaging activities for our youngest students.

Vinnies School Sleepout
This Friday night, our Year 11 and 12 volunteers will take part in the Vinnies School Sleepout.  We’re honoured to support their efforts by providing breakfast the next morning.

Silver Spurs Rodeo – Saturday 21 June
The Jimboomba Rodeo is just around the corner, and the P & F will once again be running the bar—our biggest fundraiser of the year! Funds raised will go directly towards upcoming projects and initiatives that benefit our entire school community.

We’re still looking for more volunteers to help us make the night a success. If you’re available to lend a hand, we’d love to hear from you! Please check our Facebook page for more details and to register your expression of interest. It’s a great way to get involved, meet new people, and support our school in a fun, community atmosphere.

More P & F Support to Come
Looking into the second half of the year, the P & F will continue to support our Year 12, Year 11, Year 6 students, and the Production Team.

Don’t Miss Out – More Limited-Edition Merch Coming Soon
Lastly, keep an eye out for our next limited-edition merchandise drop—these items go fast and you won’t want to miss out!

Thank you for your continued support. Together, we’re making great things happen for our Hills community.

A: A brrrr-illiant learner!