Dear College Community

As we continue our journey through Term 4, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the vital role that teachers play, not just in shaping the academic futures of our students, but in nurturing their emotional, social, and personal growth. It’s often said that teaching is a profession that creates all other professions, and I firmly believe this to be true.

Teaching goes beyond delivering the curriculum. It’s about fostering curiosity, resilience, and compassion. Every day, our educators at Hills College work tirelessly to inspire students, guide them through challenges, and support them as they develop into well-rounded individuals. The impact that teachers have on young lives is immeasurable!

At Hills, we are fortunate to have some of the best staff in the world. Our teachers not only meet these standards but exceed them in every way. They bring energy, passion, and dedication to their classrooms every day, creating environments where students feel valued, heard, and challenged to grow. Whether it's through personalised feedback, innovative lesson delivery, or simply being a pillar of support during a tough day, our teachers are the heartbeat of the College.

As we move forward, I encourage all of us to express our gratitude for the work our teachers do. Their impact may not always be seen immediately, but the ripples of their influence carry on through the lives of our students for years to come.

To our teaching staff; thank you for your commitment, your passion, and your drive to make Hills International College a place of excellence.

Mr Matthew Noel
Acting Principal 

2025 Class Lists

Our teachers are currently hard at work preparing the class lists for 2025. This process is taken very seriously, as our educators are experts in their fields and are highly skilled at balancing the diverse needs of all students. When creating the lists, we carefully consider each child's academic, social, and emotional development to ensure well-rounded, dynamic classroom environments.

Please note that we do not take requests for specific teachers. We appreciate your understanding and trust in our professional judgment as we strive to create the best possible learning experiences for all students.

2025 Leadership Speeches 

Our current Year 5 students recently took the stage to deliver their 2025 leadership speeches, showcasing their passion, pride, enthusiasm, and vision for Hills in the year ahead. It was inspiring to hear their diverse ideas for shaping the future of our College. The students nominated for various leadership roles, including Primary Captain, Vice-Captain, and House Captain, and had to be endorsed by their families and a member of staff.

Following these outstanding speeches, our Year 5 and 6 students participated in a mock election-style voting day, expertly facilitated by Ms Waud and Ms Henry. This valuable exercise gave them a taste of real-world election processes and the importance of their voice in shaping the student leadership team.

We eagerly await the announcement of our Primary Leadership Team at the upcoming Awards Day ceremony on 15 November. Best of luck to all nominees!

In the Spotlight with 3A

As we move into our final term in Year 3, we are thrilled to share some of the engaging topics and activities we will be exploring!

We are learning to create detailed information reports. We are using our research skills to learn about varying subjects, focusing on using topic sentences, subject-specific vocabulary and classifying paragraphs.

Currently, we are diving into mathematics with mapping activities! Students have been learning how to read and create maps, identifying key features such as orientation, legends, and scale. We have engaged in hands-on activities, like drawing maps of our classroom, giving directions using cardinal points and using angles of a turn to find our way.

Next, we will be moving on to multiplication and division. Students will explore various strategies, such as skip counting, arrays, and the use of multiplication tables to solve problems. Fun games and challenges will be incorporated to reinforce these concepts, ensuring that learning is both enjoyable and effective.

We recognise the importance of emotional wellbeing, so we are incorporating lessons on understanding and expressing emotions. Through discussions, role-playing, and creative activities, students will learn to identify their feelings and understand the feelings of others, fostering empathy and communication skills.

In our UOI we are discovering living things. Students will identify the characteristics of various living things, understanding what makes something 'alive’ using the acronym MRSGREN. We will discuss how living things grow and adapt to their environments and create a poster of our findings to share in small groups.

This year has been a fantastic journey of discovery and growth for 3A. I am incredibly proud of the progress the students have made and look forward to our final weeks together.

Mrs Macpherson
3A Teacher

Mr Ablitt's Brain Teaser Corner! 

I'm excited to introduce a fun new section in our newsletter: 'Mr Ablitt's Brain Teaser Corner!' Each edition, I'll share some tricky puzzles to challenge your thinking, exercise your brain, and have a bit of fun along the way. There will be different teasers for different age groups, so everyone has a chance to join in!

Have a go at these brain teasers and see if you can figure them out! If you think you know the answer, come and share it with me, Mr Ablitt, as you walk up to your classroom on Monday morning. I can't wait to hear your guesses!

Prep and Year 1

• I’m round and yellow and shine up high.
• I wake you up in the morning sky.
• What am I?

Year 2 and Year 3

• I’m tall when I'm young,
• Short when I'm old. 
• I glow in the dark, but I'm not cold.
• What am I?

Year 4 and Year 5

• The more you take, the more you leave behind. 
• What am I? 

Year 6

• I have keys, but open no locks. 
• I have space, but no room.
• You can enter, but you can't go outside/ 
• What am I? 

I hope you enjoy these! Remember, if you think you’ve cracked the code, come and tell me your answer on Monday morning. Happy puzzling!

Secondary Insights

As we enter Week 1 of the external examination period and as Head of Secondary, I would like to take a moment to commend our Year 12 students on their focus and determination as they continue to prepare for this significant milestone in their academic journey. This is the culmination of years of hard work, and I encourage each student to approach their examinations with confidence, knowing they have been well-prepared by their teachers and their own diligent efforts.

The atmosphere at the College over the past couple of weeks including their Study Vacation has been one of quiet concentration, with students making use of every opportunity to revise and refine their knowledge. I want to remind our students to continue to manage their time wisely, ensuring they balance study with moments of rest and self-care during this intensive period. Your wellbeing is just as important as your academic performance and taking care of yourself will help you perform at your best.

The first round of examinations commenced very well with General English, Visual Art, Ancient History, Psychology Paper 1 and Paper 2, Music Extension Performance and Physics Paper 1 and Paper 2, already undertaken. I was impressed by the level of commitment shown by our students and I am confident this will continue throughout the coming weeks.

I would also like to thank our Year 12 teachers and support staff for their ongoing dedication in helping our students reach this point. Their guidance, encouragement and expertise has certainly been instrumental in preparing our students for this examination success.

I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and sincerely thank our parents and carers for their unwavering support provided throughout their journey. Their encouragement, patience and guidance have played a vital role in students' preparation, ensuring that they approach this important milestone with confidence and determination.

These final examinations are a culmination of years of hard work, not only from our students but also from you, as their families. We recognise the sacrifices you have made and the partnership we share in guiding them toward success. Your involvement in their academic journey, from the daily encouragement to the gentle reminders and countless hours spent supporting them, has been invaluable.

If there are any matters regarding Secondary, please do not hesitate to contact me at the College. I am available to respond to your emails, answer your phone calls or meet with you face to face.

Enjoy this edition of the Hills Times.

Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton

Head of Secondary

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

College Awardees

A recent Junior Schools Volleyball Cup Competition was held last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Riley Brand and Chelsea Knight both worked all day and were invaluable in assisting with scoring and helping the Year 7 and 8 teams.

Congratulations for Working with Diligence.

Mrs Leah Stone

Head of Faculty - Health and Physical Education

Teaching and Learning- Year 11 Visual Art Incursion

On Friday 18 October, the Year 11 Visual Art students spent the day in the Art room for their IA1 authentic experience and participated in a wonderful incursion with the award-winning artist Tamara Armstrong. They learnt about her own practice, and under her guidance created several experimental pieces which will go towards their final IA1 response in Year 12.

As an artist, Tamara explores themes of Identity, and she shared personal stories of her own cultural heritage and the journey she has taken as a contemporary artist. As a portrait painter, Tamara also looks to nature as an inspiration for her work and uses her love of colour to create visually bold and uplifting canvases.

Tamara has been a finalist in some of Australia's most prestigious art awards for female painters; the Portia Geach Memorial Award, as well as having work selected for the 'Salon des Refusés' aka the alternate Archibald Prize, the Kennedy Prize, the Redland Bay Award and the Brisbane Portrait Prize. Her work is highly collectible and hangs internationally in private collections as well as substantially across commercial spaces and private collections in southeast Queensland, and Australia wide. Painting is her passion, and her style is largely inspired by striking palettes and patterns observed both in the design world as well as from the natural surrounds of lush rainforests and favourite island destinations.

The students started off by creating collage portraits using brightly coloured paper, and used pen and ink to incorporate line work. Moving onto large canvases, they followed Tamara’s technique of using limited colours and layering the paint application before adding shapes and incorporating images of tropical leaves.

Everyone agreed that it was a very enjoyable and worthwhile experience. These valuable insights into Tamara’s practice will help them create an inquiry question that will form the basis of their body of work in Year 12. I’d like to thank Tamara for her enthusiasm, patience, and guidance as she gently encouraged all students to get the most out of the incursion and produce some wonderful unique experimental pieces.

Ms Caroline Barnard

Visual Art Teacher

Teaching and Learning - Year 8 Science

Year 8 students are studying biology in science with Mrs Wilson and Mr Hallerman this term and have been learning about plant and animal cells and their associated organelles.

As a consolidation activity, students were asked to model an animal cell using a zip lock bag (representing their cell membrane), jelly (representing the cytoplasm) and a variety of edible items such as sultanas, lollies and sprinkles to represent the other cell organelles. Students needed to plan, create and annotate their model and then reflect on how well their model represented the cell, including identifying areas that may have misrepresented a real animal cell.

Whilst the learning experience was sometimes messy when the cell membranes leaked, students had fun demonstrating the knowledge they have learnt this term, and a number of amazing models were created.

Their studies will continue along the theme of biology in the upcoming weeks with students investigating the circulatory and respiratory systems, including an activity where students will undertake a heart dissection and view a "pluck' (lungs and heart) being inflated to show how they work.

Well done Year 8 on your models this week.

Mrs Rachael Wilson

Science / Mathematics Teacher

Teaching and Learning- Year 9 Science and Year 11 Psychology

In Year 9 Science, the Earth Science unit started with a comparison of our planet with our uninhabitable neighbour, Mars. Students have delved into the structure of the Earth, the theory and evidence for continental drift and the impacts and measuring of earthquakes. Students have modelled tectonic movements, faulting and folding using playdough, including stop motion videos created in 9B.

11 Psychology have started Unit 3 of the QCE syllabus learning the functions of various brain regions. They are recalling the divisions of the nervous system, taking a close look at neurotransmission, and discussing the neurodegenerative diseases Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Dr Valerie Spall

Science / Mathematics Teacher

Teaching and Learning- Digital Technologies

Students were involved in making a Maze Boardgame using micro:bit circuit boards to control the game play.

Such great learning and such great fun!

Ms Rachel Carter

Digital / Design Technologies Teacher

Teaching and Learning - Mathematics- Operations in Term 4

Do you have “Maths Eyes”?

Viewing the world through “Maths Eyes” provides excellent opportunities to help learners develop a competence with the use of mathematical language, knowledge and skills.

Developing “Maths Eyes” provides opportunities to use the Real World as the starting point and context for further development (Figure 1).

Can you respond to any of these questions? If so, please send these responses to sharon.rummins@hills.qld.edu.au 

Using images is a great segue to Maths Eyes and a sequence of questions could be:

• What do you see in this picture?

• Where do you think this picture could have been taken?

• Can you talk about what is happening in the picture?

• Can you think of story to tell about the picture?

• Look at the picture with your “Maths Eyes”, what can you see?

• Can you use any maths words to describe something in the picture?

• Can you think up any maths questions for other groups?

Continue to develop your Mathematical Insights through a real-world lens.

Mrs Sharon Rummins

Head of Faculty - Mathematics

2025 Arts Production Auditions

We are delighted to announce that preparation for the 2025 College Production is well underway. Please see below for the details about the auditions in Week 5 of this term.

Event: 2025 College Production Auditions

Name of Production: Will You Be My Nemesis?

Audition Dates:  

• Monday 28 October: Years 4-5 in 2024
• Wednesday 30 October: Years 6-7 in 2024
• Thursday 31 October: Years 8-11 in 2024
• Friday 1 November: Callbacks (any year level – students will be informed if they are needed)

Audition Time: 1:10pm-1:50pm

Audition Place: J3 Drama Room

Eligible Year Levels: Year 4 – 11 in 2024

What to bring: Water bottle and playscript (please pick up a copy from J3 on the 24 and 25 October in preparation for your audition)

Performance Dates: October 2025 (TBC)

We are also seeking a Backstage Manager (preferably Year 9 – 11 in 2024). Please contact either Mrs Clifton or Ms Goyne directly to register your interest.

Please note that rehearsals are on Wednesdays 1:55-3:25pm starting in Term 1, 2025. This is during the regular Secondary activities time and during regular class time for Primary students. From Term 3, there will be longer rehearsals on a Wednesday that run after school too, and you will be notified of these closer to the time. These later running rehearsals will clash with the Upper Primary Dance Team rehearsal times. Students therefore cannot be in the Production and in the Upper Primary Dance Team in 2025. They must choose to commit to one or the other.

Please don’t hesitate to contact Dr Pope by email julia.pope@hills.qld.edu.au with any questions or concerns you might have about the auditions and the Production. We are looking forward to a wonderful experience for everyone involved.

Junior Volleyball Schools Cup

Our Junior Volleyball Schools Cup teams competed on the weekend.

Both teams did the Hills Community proud.  Wearing their jersey with pride, they certainly were the loudest of teams on court.  Our coaches and many other schools' team coaches commented on how lovely and polite our Hills students were.

Our students also showed off their skills on the volleyball court, showing much improvement over the weekend. The boys played 6 games and the girls competed in 5 games.

The students also learned how to referee and score for tournaments.

Coach Gaviglio is very excited with the growth and improvement in our players and looks forward to many more tournaments with them next year.

Final placings were:

• Year 7 Boys 5th (Div 2)
• Year 7 Girls 6th (Div 2)

Special mention goes to Riley Brand (Year 11) and Chelsea Knight (Year 10) who both gave up their weekend to support, coach and help with refereeing duties, for both our teams.

Share the Dignity

The Wellbeing Team is running a charity drive for Share the Dignity, called 'It's in the Bag' https://www.sharethedignity.org.au/itsinthebag

This is a wonderful initiative to collect backpacks and/or handbags full of necessary items for homeless/in need women and children. This year, the Wellbeing Team has taken this on as a term-long project.

We are requesting that each faculty/office, Primary class, and Secondary Connection class, collects items to fill a bag. The completed bags can then be dropped to any office in C Block. We will take them en masse to the collection point. The final date for bags to be dropped off is 29 November. The information letter on Parent Orbit has more information. Please carefully note that there are some items which cannot be included, including open items, medication, food, sharp items, and others.

Thank you for your kindness and generosity at a time of year, which can be difficult for homeless or vulnerable families in need.

House Star Weaving Competition

As part of our ongoing commitment as a school community to participate in the global ‘One Billion Stars Project’, we are holding a House competition from Monday 4 November in Week 6 of this term. So far, we have woven over 2,400 stars!

Years 7 – 12 students and staff from each House will need to weave as many eight-pointed stars as possible in their House colour over a three-week period. The completed stars will be counted after lunch on Friday 22 Nov at the end of Week 8.

From Week 5 anyone can use the box of practice ribbons in the Resource Centre to learn how to weave a star. Instruction sheets are included with all the materials and is also available on this website: How To Weave A Paper Star - Weaving One Billion Stars.

The boxes containing the House ribbons can be accessed from the Resource Centre from Week 6 when the competition begins.

We look forward to seeing as many Jade, Uluru, Halla and Fuji ‘all stars’ taking part in the competition.

May the best House win!

Ms Caroline Barnard

Visual Arts Teacher

Switch4Schoools Program Trial this term

At Hills we are committed to developing the well-being and emotional intelligence of our students. Research tells us that emotional intelligence is more important than IQ in academic performance, and more predictive of long-term physical health than exercise. As you know, we have implemented Wellio, Learning Curve, our Therapy Dogs, and other wellbeing programs over the last four years, that have been very successful, and enthusiastically embraced by both staff and students alike. Now we feel it is time to explore ways we can take it to the next level.

To this end we are excited to partner with Switch4Schools, a local company specialising in digital tools designed to strengthen emotional intelligence, to implement Switch4Schools which is a simple program to take help students to build and embed these important life skills. Students will be encouraged to “check in” during the day to learn to identify and label their feelings and will be supported to participate in small activities that are designed to help the students learn to more effectively manage their emotions in the classroom. These small strategies are expected to create a classroom environment more conducive to learning for all.

We are really enthusiastic about the benefits the program could have for our students and look forward to seeing the results of the trial over the course of the next few weeks. For those interested in finding out more about Switch4Schools, you can find them online at switch4schools.com.au and we encourage you to explore the publicly available version of the program (from the website, select “Login” then select the “Browse without login” option or use this LINK).

Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Mr Pope (ben.pope@hills.qld.edu.au)

Important Health Information: Shingles Case in Secondary School

A case of shingles (Herpes zoster) has been identified within our Secondary School community. Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster) in individuals who have previously had chickenpox. While it is not as contagious as chickenpox, it can pose a risk to specific groups, and we wish to ensure that everyone is informed
and aware of the necessary precautions.

What You Need to Know:

• Transmission: Shingles can be spread through direct contact with the fluid from the blisters of an infected person. In such cases, those who have not had chickenpox or are unsure of their chickenpox immunity can contract chickenpox, not shingles. Shingles can also spread through airborne transmission if blisters are present in the mouth.
• High-Risk Individuals: We advise those at higher risk to be extra cautious. This includes:
• Pregnant women,
  
• Babies in their first month of life,
• Immunocompromised individuals, such as those undergoing chemotherapy or taking
  immunosuppressant medication.

Symptoms:
Early signs of shingles include burning or stabbing pain, tingling, or itching, followed by a rash or blisters that typically appear on one side of the body or face. If your child or a family member exhibits these symptoms, it is important to seek medical advice promptly, as antiviral treatment is most effective if started within 72 hours of the rash appearing.

Isolation Guidelines:
According to Queensland Health recommendations, anyone diagnosed with shingles should stay home until all blisters have dried, usually about 7-10 days after the rash appears. This will help reduce the risk of spreading the infection to others. High-risk contacts should consult their healthcare provider for advice.

Preventative Measures:
Shingles vaccination is available for certain high-risk groups and is recommended for individuals over 50. Please consult your doctor if you have any concerns about vaccination or if your child or family member may be at risk.

If you have any concerns or need further information, we encourage you to contact Queensland Health or your healthcare provider. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our school community. Thank you for your attention and cooperation

NFL Come and Try Day

2025 Transitions

As the school year draws to a close, we are excited to share our transition plans for your child’s smooth journey into their new class next year. Transitioning into a new school year can be both exciting and overwhelming for students, so we have carefully designed activities and opportunities to help your child feel confident and ready for the year ahead.

Classroom Visits and Teacher Introductions

During the final weeks of this term, all students will have the opportunity to visit their new classrooms and meet their new teachers. This gives them a sense of familiarity with their new learning environment and helps ease any anxiety about the change. Meeting their future classmates in advance also allows them to begin forming new friendships and connections.

Teacher Meetings and Student Profiles

In addition to students meeting their new teachers, the current and future teachers will be working closely together. They will hold handover meetings where they discuss each student’s learning needs, strengths, and areas for support. This helps ensure that the new teacher is well-prepared to welcome and understand your child, providing personalised learning from day one.

Personalised Transition Activities 

For students who may need extra support in making the transition, we have planned personalised activities. These could include one-on-one meetings with their new teacher, additional classroom visits, transition books and other specific tasks to help them adjust.

We look forward to working together to make this a positive and seamless transition for all students. Should you have any questions or require further information, please don't hesitate to contact us.

This plan ensures that every child starts the next school year with confidence, ready to embrace new challenges and experiences!

Warm regards, 

Mrs Tracy Ashbridge
Head of Inclusive Education

International and EAL/D student support

I have been fortunate to visit primary and secondary classes to provide additional support to our English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) students.

In Primary, I work together with our Inclusive Education team to work with small groups of students, who speak English as a second or third language. We have been manipulating common words, selected from Fry's 1000 word list. 

'The Fry Sight Words list is a modern list of words designed to capture the most common 1000 words. Dr Edward Fry developed this expanded list in the 1950s (and updated it in 1980), based on the most common words to appear in reading materials used in Grades 3-9. Learning all 1,000 words in the Fry list would equip a child to read about 90% of the words in a typical book, newspaper, or website.

The Fry words are listed by the frequency with which they occur and are often broken down into groups of 100. So the first 100 Fry words are the 100 most frequently occurring words in the English language.' (Source: sightwords.com)

We have had fun delving into my bucket of 1000 words, looking at meaning, structure, position in a sentence, and placing these in alphabetical order. Most importantly, having fun!

Year 12 International students

I extend my best wishes to CJ, Chester and Joshua as they enter into their external exams. These young men are working in a new educational environment, away from family support, and in some cases, in their second language. Gentlemen, I am so proud of you!

Similarly, I would like to wish our Year 12 domestic homestay students, Saxxon, India, Georgia and Simon, all the best with their end of year assessments. They are also away from home, and their resilience and motivation are incredible.

Q: Why don’t skeletons ever go trick-or-treating?

Slime Challenges Prizes

We are thrilled to announce that the long-awaited Slime Challenge prizes have arrived and been delivered to all classes! Congratulations to all participants – this fundraiser wouldn’t have been possible without you, and we hope you enjoy your well-earned prizes!

Should you have any questions about your child's prize order, have received an additional item in error or are missing anything from your order, please get in touch with us at secretary@hillspf.com

Snack Bar Success for Year 12

The P & F team was honored to support our Year 12 students last week with a delicious, nutritious and treat-filled snack bar to help them refuel as they start their study period (Stuvac) and get ready to tackle their final exams.

We wish the Year 12 students the best of luck as they continue with their exams and prepare for the next stage of their journey!

World Teachers' Day Appreciation

To recognise the incredible work of the teaching and support staff at Hills College, volunteers from the P & F have handed out small tokens of appreciation on behalf of all parents and students. This was our way of saying "thank you" for the tireless dedication and effort our staff put in everyday to nurture and guide our children through their schooling.

Thank you, Hills College teachers, for making our school such a wonderful place to learn and grow.

Prep 2025 Orientation

We’re eagerly looking forward to welcoming the new Prep families during their first orientation next week. The P & F will be there with a yummy snack table, ready to welcome new parents and help them feel connected and supported as they begin their school journey.

Halloween Fun 

In partnership with the Year 11 students, the P & F is hoping to bring some spooky fun to the school with a Halloween event! Keep an eye out for more details as we work to make this a frightfully fun celebration for everyone.

A: Because they have no body to go with!

Student success

After his excellent play at the NSW Junior Championship, Saxxon Ford has attained a level of growing skill and confidence and has continued to compete successfully at the highest level of Junior Golf in the country.

He contended all week in the prestigious Gary Player Junior Classic, played at the testing Pacific Golf Club in Brisbane, eventually shooting a four-round total of 289, and finishing 5th.

After this event was the annual Beaudesert Club Championships where he shined, recording three consecutive rounds of two under 70s to hold a three-shot lead going into the final round.

He shot an incredible six under par 66 to blow the field away and win the coveted Championship by a whopping 11 strokes, and set a new scoring record in the process with 276 twelve under par.

With no time to spare he immediately traveled to the Hunter Valley to contest the Jack Newton International Junior Classic. He was in contention close to the lead in his age group the whole way, but pushed a bit hard on the closing holes to finish on level par for the four rounds and claim another top five finish in a world ranking junior event.