Welcome back to second term and the cooler weather that Autumn brings. Our students have made a very settled start to the term, and they seem genuinely excited about the new STEAM Centre and the incredible environment that they are learning in.

College ANZAC Day Service

I have included the text of my address to the students from last Friday's ANZAC Service. Our students were superbly respectful, and our student leaders did a great job leading the service.

Today, we gather as a school community for a very important reason. ANZAC Day is not just a public holiday, and it is not just a history lesson. It is a day set aside for remembrance.

ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the landing of Australian and New Zealand soldiers at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. That campaign was the first major overseas conflict fought by Australians and New Zealanders as independent nations. Many did not return home, and many more carried the effects of that service for the rest of their lives.

The purpose of ANZAC Day is to remember all Australians and New Zealanders who have served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations—and to honour those who lost their lives. We pause not because war is something to celebrate, but because peace and freedom come at a cost, and that cost has been carried by others on our behalf.

When we pause to remember the fallen, we do so out of respect and gratitude. We pause to acknowledge sacrifice. We pause to recognise that the lives we live today—the freedom to learn, to play, to speak freely, and to feel safe—were shaped by the service of others.

ANZAC Day also reminds us of the values that emerged from those who served; values that continue to guide us today.

One of these values is courage. The ANZACs showed courage in the face of fear and uncertainty. For us, courage looks different. It looks like standing up for what is right, trying something new, admitting when we need help, or choosing resilience when learning is hard.

Another key value is mateship. Mateship means looking after one another, especially in difficult times. In our school, mateship is shown through kindness, inclusion, and respect—when we make sure no one feels left out, and when we support each other across year levels.

The ANZACs also demonstrated great resilience. They endured challenges that tested them physically and emotionally. For students, resilience means persisting with learning, managing disappointment, and continuing to grow even when things do not go as planned.

Integrity and respect are also central ANZAC values. Integrity means doing the right thing—even when it is hard. Respect means valuing the dignity of others, listening carefully, and acting with fairness. These values help create strong schools and strong communities.

Finally, we remember the value of service. Service is about contributing to something bigger than yourself. While most of us will never serve in uniform, each of us can serve others—by helping, by volunteering, by caring, and by making choices that improve our community.

It is important to remember that ANZAC Day is not about glorifying war. It is about remembering the human cost of conflict and recognising our responsibility to live lives that honour the sacrifices that were made.

In a few moments, we will observe a minute of silence. When we pause, we do so as a sign of respect. We pause to remember those who did not return. And we pause to reflect on how we can live out the ANZAC values in our own lives—at school, at home, and in the wider community.

The greatest tribute we can offer is not only our silence today, but our actions every day:

• showing courage,
• practising mateship,
• being resilient,
• acting with integrity,
• and serving others.

Let us remember.
Let us reflect.
And let us live in a way that honours the fallen.

Lest we forget.

Secondary Parent Teacher Interviews

Secondary parent teacher interviews were held on Tuesday night here in our new STEAM Centre. Thanks to Mrs Skelton for her organisation of this event and to all the secondary staff for their commitment and professionalism.

Building Futures Together: The Importance of Parent–Teacher Interviews in Secondary School

As our students progress through the secondary years, learning becomes more complex, expectations increase and young people continue to grow academically, socially and emotionally. At this important stage of schooling, strong partnerships between parents and teachers are essential. Parent–teacher interviews play a key role in strengthening these partnerships and supporting students to navigate the challenges and opportunities of secondary education.

Strengthening Partnerships During the Secondary Years

In secondary school, students are encouraged to develop greater independence and personal responsibility. While this is an important part of growing into capable young adults, it also means clear communication between home and school is more important than ever.

Parent–teacher interviews help to:

• Build strong, respectful relationships between families and subject teachers
• Ensure shared understanding of academic expectations, routines and assessment
• Provide parents with insight into how their child is engaging across different subjects
• Create alignment between home and school in supporting learning, behaviour and wellbeing
  

These conversations reinforce that, even as students grow in independence, they are still supported by a connected team of adults who care deeply about their success.

Secondary schooling involves multiple subjects, teachers and assessment styles. Parent–teacher interviews allow families to gain a clearer picture of how their child is progressing across the curriculum, beyond what is visible in reports alone.

Teachers can share insights into:

• Learning progress and subject‑specific achievement
• Study habits, organisation and engagement in class
• Areas of strength and opportunities for growth
• Strategies to support improvement and resilience

Parents, in turn, can provide valuable perspectives on their child’s learning habits, wellbeing and personal circumstances, helping teachers to respond more effectively and holistically.

When parents and teachers collaborate closely, students benefit in powerful and practical ways. Consistency between home and school helps students feel supported, accountable and confident as they take on increased responsibility for their learning.

Strong collaboration supports students through:

• Improved engagement, motivation and achievement
• Greater confidence and clarity around expectations
• Early identification of learning or wellbeing concerns
• Better preparation for senior schooling and future pathways
• Most importantly, students see that education is valued. They understand that the adults around them are united, invested and committed to helping them reach their potential.

By engaging in these conversations, parents play an active role in shaping their child’s learning journey. Together, through open communication and shared responsibility, we continue to build futures together—supporting every secondary student to learn with purpose and move forward with confidence.

ASEAN Bridge Program

Mrs Newbery has just returned from a trip to Malaysia. The trip was federally funded as a component of the ASEAN Bridge Program. Mrs Newbery spent five days visiting SMK Takis Papar school. We will have a reciprocal visit from staff from SMK Takis Papar in August as a further aspect of the program.

Jimboomba ANZAC Day Service

Thank you to the staff and students who represented the College so beautifully at the Jimboomba Dawn Service and then the Jimboomba ANZAC Day march. They braved the rain during the march and our College Captains and Primary Captains laid wreaths to honour the fallen. Thank you to all of our families who supported the dawn service and march.

Upcoming Calendar Events

Term 2 Week 3

Monday 4 May
Labour Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 5 May
Primary School Photos

Wednesday 6 May
Spelling Bee-Years 7-9

Thursday 7 May
Rivers Sport Day 5

Friday 8 May
Day For Dolly-Kindness Day

Term 2 Week 4

Monday 11 May
Year 4 Currumbin Sanctuary Excursion

Tuesday 12 May
Secondary and Sibling Photos
Youth Theatre sports Festival

Wednesday 13 May
Pacific District Cross Country
Spelling Bee-Years 10-12

Thursday 14 May
Hills Wellbeing Community Meeting-TBC

Friday 15 May
World’s Greatest Shave-TBC
Primary Assembly

Welcome to our Primary Edition of the Hills Times.

I would like to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the many students, families, and staff who participated in the Jimboomba Sub Branch ANZAC Day Dawn Service and March. Despite the less than ideal conditions, your willingness to turn up was truly impressive and reinforces the importance of this occasion. Coming together as a community to remember and honour those who served, and who continue to serve, our great country is deeply meaningful. Thank you for representing Hills College with such pride, respect, and dignity.

This week also marked the commencement of our first round of Prep interviews for our 2027 intake. This is always an exciting and rewarding time, as we begin building connections with future families and welcoming new faces into our community. While busy, it is a wonderful opportunity to share what makes Hills such a special place for students and families.

In this edition, I would like to take the opportunity to share our wellbeing and behaviour priorities for Term 2. To support our students' social and emotional development, we have partnered with Open Parachute. This program supports the wellbeing of our students through structured, age-appropriate lessons embedded within weekly class timetables. In this edition, you will find an overview of our focus areas and information on how families can access complementary parent resources that align with the excellent work our staff are doing with your child at school.

Happy reading.

Mr Matthew Noel
Head of Primary

matt.noel@hills.qld.edu.au

Wellbeing and Behaviour Priorities for Term 2

I would like to share some key insights from our Term 1 behaviour data, along with feedback from both students and staff. One very clear message stood out; we have fabulous students. Our data reflects a strong foundation of positive behaviour across the Primary School.

Alongside this, several common development areas were identified where we can continue to strengthen student skills:

• Emotional regulation under stress
• Seeking help before situations escalate
• Repairing friendships
• Problem-solving without adult intervention
• Managing anger and frustration
• Bystander responsibility
  

To support growth in these areas, all Primary classes will be engaging with our wellbeing program, Open Parachute. This program provides students with structured opportunities to develop social and emotional skills and is embedded into weekly classroom routines. The Student Voice series uses age-appropriate and engaging resources to support participation and meaningful learning.

These focus areas will be intentionally targeted across Term 2. In addition, families will receive a separate parent resource notification with access to free materials that align closely with what students are learning at school. These resources can be used at home to further support your child's development and strengthen school-home partnerships.

Alongside this work, we will continue to promote our College L.A.W.S. values, reinforcing high expectations, pride in our school, and a strong sense of belonging. Visual resources will be displayed around the school and referenced during assemblies and other large group gatherings. This builds on our Term 1 focus on what it means to be a Hills Kid, further strengthening how we live and demonstrate our College values each day.

Peer Mediation Program

Term 2 also sees the commencement of our Peer Mediation Program. As part of her Senior Teacher role, Miss Waud has been training selected Year 6 students to take an active role in supporting peers to resolve low level playground conflicts in a safe, respectful, and structured way. This program is designed to best support students during unstructured times, such as play.

Through peer mediation, students will be supported to:

• Develop emotional intelligence and empathy
• Practise effective communication and active listening
• Build independence and confidence in managing everyday social challenges
• Resolve minor conflicts constructively and peacefully

Our Term 2 wellbeing goals also include ensuring consistency with movement and brain breaks, particularly during longer morning learning sessions, supporting students during unstructured times through peer mediation, providing intentional transition and reset time after lunch, and actively recording and acknowledging positive behaviours aligned with our L.A.W.S. values.

Together, these approaches support a calm, connected, and positive learning environment where all students can thrive.

Lego Club

The LEGO Club would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the P & F for their generous donation of LEGO. Their support has had a direct and positive impact, enabling the club to continue supporting a large number of primary students and remain a popular and valued lunchtime option. The LEGO Club provides a safe, welcoming space where students can choose to spend their break building, socialising, or enjoying some quiet time away from the playground. The donated LEGO allows students to engage in hands‑on problem‑solving, develop fine motor and social skills, and feel a strong sense of belonging. The P & F’s generosity and ongoing commitment to student wellbeing is greatly appreciated and plays an important role in making lunchtime a positive experience for many students.

Mrs Caragh Rosevear
Digital Technology Teacher

In the Spotlight with 1A

In mathematics, we have started the term by exploring 2D shapes in the world around us. 1A thoroughly enjoyed sharing where they have spotted 2D shapes in real-world settings. They made wonderful connections, including recognising that triangles can look like slices of watermelon or pizza, or even the roof of a house! It was fantastic to see students confidently applying their knowledge of 2D shapes to real‑world examples.

To extend this learning, we headed to the playground where students enthusiastically searched for 2D shapes in their environment before practising to draw the shapes they found.

This term in writing, 1A are learning how to write an information report. This week we started our unit by exploring different text types to understand the difference between fiction and non‑fiction texts. Working together, we identified key text features of non‑fiction texts, such as the table of contents, the glossary, headings, and photographs. Through engaging with a variety of non‑fiction texts, students discovered that these books provide real facts and information about a topic, such as animals. It was wonderful to see their curiosity and enthusiasm as they explored new texts!

This week, we unpacked our central idea for our Term 2 Unit of Inquiry: How Places Support Living Things. Together, we shared our understandings of key terms such as places, support, and living things. To deepen our learning, we visited the school pond. This experience sparked excitement and curiosity amongst the students as they observed the wildlife living there and discussed why the pond is an important habitat. We explored why habitats are essential and what they provide to support living things. It was a meaningful opportunity for students to connect their classroom learning with the world around them.

We are really looking forward to the term ahead in 1A with many learning experiences already sparking our curiosity and excitement!

Miss Johnson
1A Teacher

Secondary Insights

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we reach the end of Week 3, I have been reflecting on the strength of our College Community. These past three weeks have been defined by connection and a shared commitment to our College Values.

It was a pleasure to see so many of you at our recent interviews. The vibrant energy in the new STEAM Building was a testament to the great relationship we share. Thank you for your transparency, your insights into your child’s learning and your unwavering support of our teaching staff.

The feedback from these sessions were overwhelmingly positive. By working together to target specific learning outcomes, we ensure that every student has a clear pathway for the remainder of the term. Your role in supporting these academic goals at home is invaluable and we are grateful for your partnership in this learning journey.

To maintain the momentum from your successful interviews, I have three clear actionable takeaways for you to consider.

1. Transition from Grades to Goals
Shift the focus from the numbers on the report to the specific next steps discussed with teachers.

Action: Help your child identify one specific skill they want to improve (e.g., "using more evidence in essays" rather than just "getting an A").
Why: Research shows that growth-mindset goals lead to higher long-term achievement and lower anxiety.

2. Standardise the Study Space
Many discussions focused on consistency and the learning environment at home.

Action: Ensure your child has a dedicated, distraction-free zone for home learning.
Why: A consistent physical environment helps the teenage brain 'switch on' for deep work and 'switch off' for rest, improving both sleep quality and academic output.


3. Celebrate the Effort, Not Just the Result
We heard incredible stories of resilience during our meetings.

Action: When discussing schoolwork this fortnight, praise the process—the hours of practice, the revised drafts, or the courage to ask for help.
Why: Validating the effort reinforces the value of the partnership we share, reminding students that their hard work is seen by both their teachers and their parents.

Thank you for being such an active part of our Secondary family.

Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton
Head of Secondary

College LAWS- Working with Diligence

The following students excelled in the recreational Bronze Awards extending themselves well above their grade level to successfully complete their Recreational Bronze Medallion in Life Saving late last term. They will be awarded formal qualifications when they arrive from Royal Australian Life Saving.

8A
Sophie Parker

8B
Cleo McLaren

Amelia Mullen

8C

Lara Sorbello 

Caoimhe Stone

Ariah Matthews

Mrs Leah Stone and Mr Riley Nicholl

Head of Faculty HPE /  Teacher HPE

Teaching and Learning- Mathematics Focus - Developing Problem Solvers

This term, our Year 7 Mathematics students are beginning to develop important problem-solving and mathematical modelling skills. These skills encourage students to think critically, plan strategies, and justify their reasoning — essential capabilities for success in mathematics and life beyond.

In Week 1, 7C participated in a collaborative problem-solving activity where students were challenged to design a strategy to estimate either the total number of windows or the total number of phones across the school. Rather than focusing on a single “correct” answer, students worked together to break the problem into manageable parts, make reasonable assumptions, and clearly explain their thinking. This type of open-ended task helps build resilience, creativity, and confidence in tackling unfamiliar problems.

The remaining Year 7 classes will also complete this activity in the next few weeks, ensuring all students have the opportunity to develop and practise these new skills. Problem-solving and modelling will continue to be a key focus throughout the term and will form an important foundation for students’ upcoming assessment task in Term 2.

Mathematics Zone – Free Teacher-Supported Tutoring

Free, teacher-supported mathematics tutoring is again available to students through Mathematics Zone.

Mondays after school (3:30–4:10 pm) (FBlock 2)

Thursdays before school (8:00–8:30 am) (FBlock 2)

No booking is required, just drop when needed. Mathematics Zone is open to all Secondary Students who would like additional support with their mathematics studies, including assistance with classwork, homework, or revision.

Mrs Rachael Wilson

Head of Faculty Mathematics

Upcoming Interschool Mathematics Competition- Term 3

The College will again be entering teams in the Canterbury College Interschool Mathematics Competition, which will be held in Term 3. This competition provides students with an exciting opportunity to apply their mathematical thinking in a team-based, problem-solving environment against other schools. Further details will be shared closer to the event. In the meantime, students who may be interested in participating are encouraged to speak with their Mathematics teacher to express their interest.

For any further information, please email Mrs Rachael Wilson (Head of Faculty Mathematics) rachael.wilson@hills.qld.edu.au 

Teaching and Learning- Year 12 Chemistry IA2- Student Experiment

This assessment instrument is used to determine student achievement in how they apply understanding of chemical equilibrium systems or oxidation and reduction to modify experimental methodologies and process primary data 3. Students analyse experimental evidence about chemical equilibrium systems or oxidation and reduction as well as interpreting experimental evidence about chemical equilibrium systems or oxidation and reduction. Students were given the opportunity to investigate phenomena associated with chemical equilibrium systems or oxidation and reduction through an experiment 6. evaluate experimental processes and conclusions about chemical equilibrium systems or oxidation and reduction and to communicate their understandings and experimental findings, arguments and conclusions about chemical equilibrium systems or oxidation and reduction.

Mr Chris Schultz

Head of Faculty Science

Teaching and Learning- Visual Art- A reflection of Senior Visual Art 

It was a very busy first term in the Art Learning Environment and this has continued into Term 2. Year 7 students enjoyed making their clay Mexican inspired Alebrijes. Year 8 produced some successful lino prints inspired by their drawings of insects. Year 9 are working on a semester long Puppetry unit and are currently creating their own Ramayana character shadow puppets. The Year 10 unit also goes throughout Semester 1, and students have begun their three-dimensional cardboard ‘trophy head’ constructions of their chosen endangered creature. Year 11 students completed a written response as part of the ‘Art as Lens’ unit and this also involved producing experimental artworks. Finally, the Year 12 students completed experimental research in connection with their chosen key artists and linked this with their inquiry in the form of a written response. I have enjoyed seeing all the creativity and it has been a wonderful way to start the year.

Ms Caroline Barnard

Visual Art Teacher

Arts Ambassadors Report

The Arts subjects we study in Secondary at Hills are Drama, Media Arts including Film & TV in Senior, Music, and Visual Arts. Dance is offered as a Wednesday afternoon activity. Arts subjects are vitally important for students to study because they help develop creativity, critical thinking, resilience, and problem-solving skills.

The new STEAM building is now open and being used. We are super excited about the new Visual Arts and Media Arts spaces that are there. They are beautiful, purpose-built spaces that are guaranteed to enhance and inspire student learning. We can’t wait to see the amazing work that will be produced in these spaces.

For the first time, Hills is entering a team in the Improv Queensland Theatresports Competition. Theatresports is a drama competition in which teams of performers create improvised scenes which are often theatre games. They are scored by a panel of judges. To be successful, teams must be able to work together playfully, be prepared to take risks, and bring characters and stories to life on stage. There was a second student workshop on Wednesday this week and the first round of the competition is being held in May. We wish our team all the best for their first foray into the world of Theatresports.

The lunchtime music concert series continues this year with the next concert happening in early June. This is the fourth year of lunchtime concerts, and they are always a great success.

Steven Gurney

Abby Rose-Cox

Arts Captains

English Ambassadors Report- The Hills Spelling Bee is back! 🐝

Now in its second year, our Spelling Bee continues to go from strength to strength. This popular competition is the brainchild of English Ambassador Steven Rose, and proudly supported by the rest of our dedicated team of English Ambassadors.

This year, the Spelling Bee has been divided into four competitions, giving students across multiple year levels the chance to put their spelling skills to the test. All events will be held in the Resource Centre during Wednesday lunchtimes in May.

Competition dates:

Years 5–6: 6th May

Years 7–8: 13th May

Years 9–10: 20th May

Years 11–12: 27th May

Best of luck to all participants!

Steven Rose

Savannah Swami

English Ambassadors

Japanese Teaching and Learning Support

Additional support with learning the Japanese Language and Culture, is available for all student who are interested every Tuesday afternoon 3.30pm - 4.30pm with Anna Hayashi.

Please join and learn with fun.

STEM Ambassadors Report

On Wednesday 1 April, up to 30 of our Year 9 and 10 students attended a Senior Laboratory Experience Day at Griffith University on the Gold Coast Campus. Students participated in specialised STEM investigations within the university labs. These investigations encompassed a number of pre-arranged experiments incorporating skills and content from Senior Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

This term, the STEM Ambassadors will be hosting a Chess Competition with prizes for the year level winners and the overall chess champion.

Steven Gurney

STEM Ambassador

Attendance Matters

Regular school attendance plays an important role in students’ learning, wellbeing, and belonging. This is especially true if they're experiencing anxiety, depression or emotional distress, where consistency and routine can make a significant positive difference.

We understand that coming to school can feel challenging. We work with families in a supportive, compassionate and trauma‑informed way to help students feel safe, connected and successful at school.

Attendance and Emotional Wellbeing

For students (and their parents) experiencing anxiety or low mood, staying home can sometimes feel like relief in the short term. However, over time, irregular attendance can make returning to school feel harder and more overwhelming.

Regular attendance helps students by:

• Creating predictable routines that feel safe
• Maintaining friendships and social connections
• Building confidence and coping skills
• Supporting emotional regulation and resilience
• Reducing anxiety that can grow through avoidance

Even when school feels difficult, being present — with the right supports in place — is often a key part of recovery and wellbeing.

The Importance of Being on Time and Staying for the Full Day

Attendance includes arriving on time and remaining at school for the full day wherever possible. Frequent late arrivals or early departures can:

• Disrupt learning and classroom routines
• Increase stress during transitions
• Draw attention to differences in attendance
• Make it harder for students to feel settled and connected

For students experiencing anxiety, full and predictable days often feel safer and more manageable than fragmented attendance.

Early Pick‑Ups and Practical Considerations

We recognise that there are times when students may need to arrive late or leave early. When this occurs, we kindly ask families to be mindful of the following:

• Advance notice is essential where early pickup is required
• Staff cannot guarantee that students can be brought to reception without sufficient notice
• Frequent or multiple pickup requests within short timeframes impact supervision and school operations
• Excessive early pickups can unintentionally reinforce anxiety by encouraging avoidance

These procedures help us meet our duty of care obligations and ensure the safety and supervision of all students.

Working Together

The most effective support comes from strong partnerships between you and us. If your child is finding attendance difficult, we encourage early communication to work together on thoughtful, planned supports to gradually build confidence and participation.

Attendance adjustments, when needed, are most helpful when they are temporary, structured, and reviewed.

What Parents Can Do to Support Attendance and Wellbeing

Families play a powerful role in supporting children’s confidence with school. Small, consistent actions can make a big difference — especially for students experiencing anxiety or low mood.

Parents and carers can help by:

• Prioritising regular attendance, even on days when school feels challenging
• Encouraging on‑time arrival and full school days wherever possible
• Keeping morning routines calm, predictable and brief
• Talking about school in a reassuring, neutral way, even when your child is worried
• Avoiding frequent early pickups, unless absolutely necessary
• Providing advance notice if an early departure is required
• Contacting the school early if attendance becomes challenging so support can be planned together
• Working with the school on gradual, structured attendance plans when needed, rather than unplanned changes

We understand that every family and situation is different. Our shared goal is to help students feel safe, capable and connected at school while building the skills they need to manage discomfort and grow in confidence over time.

If you have concerns about your child’s attendance or wellbeing, please reach out to the school so we can support you and your child together.

D&D club Interview

There many great activities that are run on Wednesday afternoon. These activities give the students a chance to connect with others and gives them the opportunity to try out things that they may not have been able to try before.

One of these great activities is the Dungeons and Dragons club. This exciting fantasy roleplay club is based on a board game that explores the idea of improvised story telling as well as communal story telling.

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game. It allows students to create their own characters and embark on adventures within a fantasy setting. The game is run by a dungeon master who runs the event and narrates the story as well as presents challenges and describes the characters actions. The game is known for its open-ended nature, allowing students to use their imagination and rules to create their own stories and world.

This club gives the students a chance to try out something different, improve skills and explore the realm of fantasy board games. This club not only allows you to meet new people and join a great community but also allows you to experience and to share your own creative world with others as well as see theirs.

We interviewed Mr Samuel Wockner who runs the D&D club. We asked a few questions about the club, why he recommends it and the best part about running this club.

We asked him to give a brief explanation of what the club is. He explained that they focus on Dungeons and Dragons as a medium RPG (Role play game). They explore the idea of improvisation within storytelling and communal storytelling.

Mr Wockner also said that the benefits of playing D&D extend beyond exploring the imagination: “It's not just a Dungeon Master that controls it. Everybody has a shared experience there and also a little bit of cheeky maths hidden in there with all of the dice rolls and modifiers and everything that people do.”

The next question that was asked was what the best part about being a teacher for D&D is. He said that he enjoys observing so many different and new ways that people think of running D&D. He expanded on this by saying;

“So for example, I come from an age of pen and paper. The students in there are using things like artificial intelligence to even teach them how to play D&D instead of, you know, the more traditional trial and error way they're having keeping track of things on things like OneNote and through digital mediums instead of pen and paper, which you lose and things go wrong.”

The final question that we asked was why he would recommend this activity? Mr Wockner explained that it's a sense of community that you get and feel like you're in. “It's a sense of community that you get from being able to share a creative world with other people.” He extended on this by saying that It's also a great opportunity to consider other people through their eyes, building empathy and that he thinks it's really great for that.

Written by Hallie Thomas, Jacob E Parkinson and Shanaya Mishra.

Hills Reporting Team

ASEAN-Australia Bridge Program

Last week I had the honour of representing Hills International College during my visit to our partner school in Malaysia, as part of our commitment to the ASEAN-Australia BRIDGE program. Here is a little background information:

The ASEAN-Australia BRIDGE Program fosters sustainable school partnerships, cross-cultural learning, and professional development for teachers and students across Australia and ASEAN countries.

The ASEAN-Australia BRIDGE (Building Relationships through Intercultural Dialogue and Growing Engagement) School Partnerships Program is an initiative of the ASEAN-Australia Centre, implemented by Asialink Education at the University of Melbourne. It aims to strengthen educational ties between Australia and ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste, building on the success of the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE program. The program promotes cross-cultural understanding, global citizenship, and professional networks among educators and students.

This year's cohort has allowed 18 schools across our region to connect through online learning, workshops, student collaboration and reciprocal visits. Last week, I visited our partner school, SMK Takis Papar. The program was full and intensive, including;

• a lively and cultural welcome ceremony
• the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between our schools, allowing future connection
• a school tour
• classroom observations
• a learning walk, to meet and greet students and staff
• shared meals with staff, students and parents
• joining in sporting and leisure activities
• hosting a teacher sharing session
• singing and dancing activity with students (they now know how to do the Nutbush!)
• a visit to their Inclusive Education unit, where students were engaged in life-skill and job-ready learning
• excursion to a nearby district, and a visit to another school, where we were warmly welcomed with a ceremony and gifts
• collaboration with students in preparation for our joint project
• art sharing - star weaving and bead work activity

Two staff and six students from SMK Takis Papar will visit us in August for a week, and I hope to show them the same kindness when they arrive.

My key takeaways from the visit were;

• there are many differences between our cultures, way of life and educational systems, but what stood out were the striking similarities
• people are kind and welcoming, and are very curious to learn more about Australia and our school
• religion is a cornerstone of society, and the harmony between the different faiths is wonderful
• as teachers, we can learn as much from our Malaysian colleagues as they can learn from us
• everyone should have the experience of traveling in a new country to appreciate cultural, linguistic and societal differences - this truly broadens the mind and makes us better humans. When we can gain a deeper understanding of others, we can better understand ourselves.

Here are some of the many photos from my journey; please enjoy!

Mrs Vanessa Newbery

Head of International Programs

Student success - collaboration with SMK Takis Papar

Six Hills College students have been also involved in the program, attending four online workshops to understand and develop their storytelling skills. These workshops culminated in a joint story, and the presentation of these stories to the rest of the ASEAN-Australia participants was yesterday.

I am exceptionally proud of our students; Ella, Yuvraj and Olivia (Year 11), and Abby, Steven G and Jared (Year 12), who worked so hard during the sessions and in their own time to create their part of the presentation. Special thanks to Olivia who actually wrote and recorded the music which accompanied the project, and Yuvraj who worked on the visual aspects.

From SMK Takis Papar, I would like to acknowledge their hard-working project participants as well; Jade, Awfiyah, Ivan, Hasha, Jason, Sebastian, Dexter, and Irie. These students worked closely with me while I was in Malaysia, and their kindness and diligence is appreciated. Six of these students will visit us in August, so please make them feel like the stars they are.

Hills Language College supporting Autism Awareness Week

Thank you to our amazing Inclusive Education team for their inspiring week of education and events in support of Autism Awareness Week. In HLC, Mrs Perrett and her students have decorated our doors to promote this week.

Compassion in Action - donation

This week, the College donated over 10 sleeping bags to Beyond Barriers - Restoring Lives, a local organisation supporting those in need in our community. The sleeping bags used to be for our dormitory students when they attended camp, but are no longer needed. We hope this donation will help those currently struggling and allow them rest and dignity, so they can begin moving forward.