31 July 2025

From the Principal's Desk

Hello Rockhampton SHS community!

My name is Matt Newell and I’m incredibly proud to be joining Rockhampton State High School as Principal. These first few day’s students and staff have made me feel incredibly welcomed. I have been impressed by the confident nature of students who are willing to introduce themselves, tell me about their interests and perspectives of the school.

A little about me, since 2003, I’ve called the Rockhampton region home, and over that time I’ve had the privilege of working in a range of school and regional leadership roles. These experiences have deepened my passion for education and my belief in the power of strong, inclusive school communities.

I’m a firm believer that every student deserves to feel known, valued, and supported. Rockhampton SHS has a proud tradition and a dynamic future, and I’m excited to learn more about the school and to work alongside our staff, students, families, and community to ensure every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

Outside of school, I’m a proud dad to two teenage children and husband to a loving and supportive wife. I love a good challenge and enjoy sports and recreational activities that push me both mentally and physically—whether it’s on the field, on the trail, or in the great outdoors.

I’m looking forward to meeting you all and working together to make Rockhampton SHS a place of excellence, opportunity, and connection. Please feel free to stop by and say hello.

Kind Regards

Matt Newell

Date Claimers - 2025

These dates are subject to change.  To stay up to date with what is happening around the school, follow us on our Facebook page.

Governor General visits Rockhampton High School

Rockhampton High School had the privilege of a visit from her Excellency the Governor General of Australia, Ms Sam Mostyn on Monday, 14 July 2025.  She was very interested in the Aquaculture Centre and the amazing work being done by staff and students with their efforts to restock the barramundi population in the mighty Fitzroy River (Tunaba). The program could not exist without the significant contribution of several local community groups who were also in attendance.

• Advance Rockhampton
• Rockhampton Regional Council
• Elliot Hilse
• Justin Kann
• Gladstone Area Water Board
• Fitzroy River Fish Stocking Association
• Sunwater
• Suntag
• Fitzroy River Barra Bash brought to you by Frenchville Sports Club
• Department of Primary Industries

Senior Schooling

Year 10 into 11 Subject Selection Information

Year 10 is a critical time for students to make informed decisions about the next phase of their learning.  The senior phase will present many opportunities in the form of academic study, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, CQUniversity courses and work experience, just to name a few. 

To assist students to make meaningful decisions, a number of key activities have been organised.  The most significant activity is the formation of the Senior Education and Training Plan (SET Plan).  To ensure parents and carers are involved in the SET Plan process, a 10 – 15 minute SET Plan Interview will take place on Wednesday 27 August from 3.30 – 6.00pm in the Library. Information about the booking process will be forwarded to families in Week 5. 

At this interview, each student’s SET Plan and subject choices will be reviewed to ensure they have made sound decisions to achieve their career aspirations.  The student, parent/carer and a member of school staff will sign the SET Plan.

This is the final stage of processing your student’s enrolment into Senior Schooling at Rockhampton State High School. Attendance is essential to validate your student’s subjects for 2026.  Representatives from CQUniversity and an apprenticeship organisation will be available at the SET Plan Evening.

Students are welcome to visit the FEET First Program staff in the Senior Learning Centre during lunch breaks for one-on-one talks about senior subjects, school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, vocational education and training (VET) courses and university programs such as Start Uni Now (SUN).

Mrs Trudy Crow | HOD – Senior Schooling

TERM 3 2025 Senior Schooling Date Claimer

Upcoming Course Dates

Upcoming Events

Work Experience

Week 10 – Monday 15 to Friday 19 September - Years 10, 11 & 12

Cutoff date for term 3 placements is Friday 22^nd August. Application forms returned after this date will be placed in term 4.

Business Department

Senior Business Excursion

Last term, the Senior Business classes embarked on an excursion to the movies and shops… a curriculum-linked day out where we gained insight into repositioning strategies of post-mature businesses, advertising and marketing concepts, customer relations and franchising options. Armed with generous amounts of popcorn, we watched the latest How to train your dragon; a remake of the popular animation. We very much enjoyed the newly renovated cinema experience. Anthea, the General Manager of Event Cinemas Rockhampton, provided us with valuable business information and interesting facts about the cinema industry. We also sampled from the wide array of options in Stocklands for lunch, evaluating menu options and consumer decisions. Many groups successfully completed the scavenger hunt booklet, finding out fun facts about many of our local stores. We even saw some “Lafufu’s” in the wild. Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed our day and look forward to applying concepts to our upcoming assessment.

Mrs Birkbeck and Mrs Simpkins | Senior Business Teachers 

CQUni Business Challenge

From accounting to legal scenarios, teams tackled tough questions that tested their critical thinking, content knowledge, and teamwork.

Our Year 11 team enjoyed the experience and got a sneak peek at topics they’ll explore in future units. Meanwhile, our Year 12 team—Emmasyn, Grace, and Aidan—achieved an impressive third place in the Central Queensland regional competition!

Well done to all students involved.

Mrs Birkbeck | Senior Business Teacher 

Digital Technologies

Girls in ICT Day

Last term, some of our junior IT girls had the exciting opportunity to meet with Young Tech Ambassador (YTA) representatives Danielle Jones and Jay Davis from Future Women in Tech, an initiative supported by the Australian Computer Society (ACS).

During the session, students gained valuable insights into the incredible opportunities available in the IT industry. Danielle and Jay shared personal stories, career journeys, and highlighted the diverse pathways in tech—from coding and cybersecurity to creative problem-solving.

It was an inspiring session that showed our students there’s a place for everyone in IT.

Science Department

Celebrate National Science Week (9–17 August) and check out both in-person and online events for the whole family. The National Science Week website also has lots of DIY experiments and activities to conduct at home. Find out more: www.scienceweek.net.au.

Annual Interschool Rotary Quiz

It was a privilege to once again host and enter teams into the Annual Interschool Junior and Senior Rotary Quizzes on Monday 21^st and Tuesday 22^nd July. The event, run by North Rockhampton Rotary, includes teams from numerous schools in the Rockhampton Region and is always greatly enjoyed by participants and audience members, alike, every year.

This year, our Junior team on Monday night consisted of Year 9 students: Kirra, Juliette, and Charlotte, who represented Rockhampton State High School very well and placed 5^th overall.

A huge congratulations to our Senior team - Tobias, Eddy, and Emily - for being hailed the victors of the Senior Rotary Quiz on Tuesday night! With a vast array of knowledge between them, they placed Rockhampton SHS on top of the ladder (out of 9 schools) leading into the semi-finals. After defeating RGS in the semi-final with a solid “Beat the Buzzer” round, they moved on to face Heights College in a tightly contested final, which ultimately saw them victorious.

A massive thank you to Miss Blanch for coaching the Junior & Senior teams, Mr McGrath for organising and assisting with setting up, as well as North Rockhampton Rotary for running the competition each year and the support they provide the community and local schools through offering events such as these. A special thanks to all who came along and supported our teams each night, the students really appreciated it.

Creative Generation – State Schools Onstage 2025

Congratulations to students Alexis and Danika, and staff Miss Thomasson and Ms Parker, who travelled to Brisbane in week 1 to take part in this year’s spectacular CGEN!

🎻 Alexis showcased her musical talents as a member of the Massed String Ensemble, contributing to the rich tapestry of sound that CGEN is known for.

💪 Danika played an important behind-the-scenes role as part of the Student Stage Crew, helping to move large set pieces and bring the entire production to life.

🎤 Miss Thomasson assisted with microphone distribution for featured vocalists, ensuring every voice was heard.

🎼 Ms Parker supported the Massed String Ensemble, supervising students and helping everything run smoothly.

This incredible experience highlighted the passion, dedication and creativity of Queensland’s state schools. Well done to all involved – you’ve done our school proud!

📺 Make sure you catch the broadcast of the performance later in the year to witness the magic and talent on display – you won’t want to miss it!

Sports

Pedal Prix Update – Gladstone Round

Last Saturday, the Pedal Prix team travelled to Gladstone for the third event of the year. Both teams competed strongly on a challenging circuit, despite experiencing mechanical issues that significantly affected their performance.

The Senior Boys team finished 7th in their class, with strong efforts from junior riders stepping up to race at the senior level. The Senior Girls team achieved a 2nd place finish in their class and were also awarded the prize for the highest-placed school-built vehicle.

The team will now enjoy a three-week break before heading to Emerald for their next endurance event. A big thank you to Nathan Snowdon, Stephen Fletcher, Alex Milde, and Stephen Martin for their continued support in making these trips possible.

Open Girls Rugby League Premiership Win

Our Opens Rugby League team won their Rugby League Grand Final against Yeppoon State High School, 18-14.  It was a game that went down to the wire and our girls came out on top after working hard for the full 50 minutes! Congratulations to our players, and thank you to their coach, Mr Wrigley, for volunteering his time to coach the team.

Report Cards - Semester 1

Semester 1, 2025 reports cards have been emailed to parents/guardians (check your junk mail folder if you did not receive your email).  Hard copies were issued to students in Form class on Monday, 21 July 2025.

Report Cards are also now available through the QParents App.

If you did not receive an emailed copy, please contact the office on (07) 4920 4333 to update your contact details.

2025 School Opinion Survey

This year’s School Opinion Survey runs from 28 July to 22 August. Parents, carers, students in selected year levels, and staff have been emailed a link to participate. Your feedback will help us understand our school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Survey responses are confidential. Find out more on the School Opinion Survey webpage or contact school administration.

Parentline

Have you heard about Parentline? 📞🖥️

Parentline is a free, confidential counselling service for all Queensland parents. Get help supporting your child with:

• bullying

• relationships

• peer pressure

• anxiety

• depression

• and more.

Problems can come up at any time, so you can contact Parentline’s qualified counsellors any day of the week from 8 am until late.

Call the phoneline (1300 30 1300) between 8 am and 10 pm, or jump on the live web-chat (parentline.com.au) between 8 am and 9 pm. 

Sponsor Shout-Out

Thank you to the following sponsors for supporting our school.

Community Notices

Free-to-Loan Formal Attire - Our Space Rockhampton

Our Space Rockhampton have been putting together a collection of Free-to-Loan formal dresses (and some suits) to make sure that the young people in our community all feel beautiful for their school formals.  

Bookings are by appointment only to ensure everyone has privacy when picking out their special outfit.

If you are interested in seeing the collection or donating to the cause, you can email ourspacecoordinator@gmail.com.