Secondary Insights
As we approach the final weeks of Term 1, students are working on their assessments to provide evidence with the consolidation of learning outcomes, refining skills and demonstrating their application to the concepts taught past eight weeks. I would like to take this opportunity to remind our students and families of some key strategies for success during this assessment phase.
Our College places a strong emphasis on diligence, and this is particularly important as students prepare for their assessments.
I encourage all students to:
- plan their study time effectively. Setting a clear study schedule ensures that revision is structured and productive.
- utilise school resources. Teachers and digital learning platforms are valuable tools to support learning.
- practice active study techniques. Summarising key points and teaching concepts to others can enhance retention.
- maintain balance. While academic success is important, ensuring adequate rest, nutrition and exercise will contribute to overall wellbeing and performance.
A reminder to all students about the importance of academic honesty. Plagiarism, collusion, or any form of academic misconduct is taken seriously. Students should ensure that all work submitted is their own and reflects their true abilities. Please refer to our assessment policies for clarification of the key forms of academic honesty.
As we move towards the end of term, we also look forward to celebrating student achievements through various awards and recognition events. Additionally, our Parent-Teacher Interviews on Tuesday 29 April will provide a great opportunity for discussions around student progress and future goals.
Once assessments are completed, students will receive feedback to guide their continued learning. Reflection on both successes and areas for improvement is key to sustained growth. I encourage students to take this feedback constructively and set new learning goals for Term 2.
Thank you to our dedicated teachers and supportive families for their ongoing commitment to student success. Let’s work together to ensure a strong and focused finish to the term. If you have any questions you would want a response to, please contact me at the College or email me at julie-anne.skelton@hills.qld.edu.au
Mrs Julie-Anne Skelton
Head of Secondary
LAWS Awardees
The following students have been noticed for acknowledging the Hills College LAWS.
Working with Diligence
Erin Waters - Year 8 Science
Mr Kai Voigt
Science Teacher
Kiahna Manning - Media Arts
Ellyssa Durant - Media Arts
Charlotte Brunning - Media Arts
Maurice O'Connell - Media Arts
Mr Chris Borg
Head of Faculty Technologies
Mahalia Manning - Year 8 Humanities
Katarina Turvey - Year 9 Humanities
Ms Bianca Tyne
Humanities Teacher
Striving for Success
Nicola Martin - Media Arts
Tadbir Singh - Media Arts
Savannah Hardisty - Media Arts
Mr Chris Borg
Head of Faculty Technologies
Hyunjong Lee - Year 11 Essential English
Ms Bianca Tyne
English Teacher
Living with Compassion
Juliene Nery - Year 7 Humanities
Alyce Castner - Year 7 Humanities
Ms Bianca Tyne
Humanities Teacher
Acting with Integrity
Jyla Mollard - Year 10 English
Michael Cetin - Year 10 English
Ms Bianca Tyne
English Teacher
Teaching and Learning - Digital Technologies and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
Term One has certainly been an eventful one for our students and teachers, but it has been wonderful to see the breadth of experiences our learners have engaged in across the term in Technologies. The Technologies learning area comprises the subjects of Design and Technologies, Digital Technologies, Senior Design and ICT. Across these classes students are challenged to be confident users of technologies to create innovative solutions to real-world problems.
In Digital Technologies and ICT, students build 21st Century skills in problem solving and computational thinking.
Our Year 7 students are learning web-development skills as they create a website to showcase the work of an online content creator. Students are learning skills in using HTML, CSS and the Bootstrap framework. They are challenged to consider the user interface and user experience components of their design to create engaging and effective digital solutions.
Our Year 8 Digital Technologies students are learning about robotic and autonomous vehicles. In class they are experimenting with programming a robotic vehicle to simulate real-world scenario. Examples of these include robotic delivery systems, home automation and uses for robots in in farming and other industry sectors. The students are required to develop code to instruct their robot to track and follow lines and to use ultrasonic sensors to detect and avoid obstacles.
The online world is rich with interactive content that is powered by Javascript. Our Year 9 learners are taking on the role of interactive content creators to develop websites that engage the user through the use of interactive elements. The students are building websites that are designed to educate fellow students, or to align with their future career aspirations.
The exciting field of game development is the perfect subject for our Year 10 students to learn real-world skills in coding across a range of development platforms. The students are working collaboratively to plan and produce a game reflecting the theme of ‘Journey’. Game development helps students learn valuable skills I team-work, planning, computational thinking and problem-solving.
Senior ICT students have the opportunity to build knowledge and skills that can be applied in the real world of the ICT industry. This term, our Year 12s have investigated aspects of computer networks and hardware. They are also currently working on a unit focused on Digital Imaging and Modelling, in which they are challenged to develop a client brief. Students have the opportunity to develop solutions using a range of industry standard software applications, or may choose to produce a physical model using 3-D printing or Laser-cutting technologies.
Mr Christopher Borg
Head of Faculty - Technologies
Teaching and Learning- Design Technolgies
In Design Technologies, students have been exploring sustainability and innovation through a range of hands-on projects. Our Year 8s have been designing lunch products while investigating eco-friendly packaging solutions. Year 9s have taken a deep-dive into sustainability, creating plant-based food alternatives. Year 10s have been developing an afternoon tea experience, focusing on both aesthetics and functionality.
Meanwhile, our senior Design students in Years 11 and 12 have been engaging in stakeholder-centred design, working on projects that address real-world needs and user experiences. It’s been an exciting term of creativity, problem-solving, and sustainable thinking!
Mr Christopher Borg
Head of Faculty - Technologies
Teaching and Learning- English Ambassadors' Update
It's now Week 8 and students are beginning to see their assessment due dates for English fast approaching. Term 1 has proven to be an exciting and thought-provoking one in the English Faculty.
In Year 7, students have been studying ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar and will be writing an essay.
Year 8 has been undertaking an introduction to poetry unit in which they have been analysing and creating poems.
Students in Year 9 have been exploring issues affecting young people through the introduction to advanced rhetoric.
Year 10 is creating podcasts and learning how to hold and maintain a conversation and express their views.
Year 11 Essential English is studying workplace language, rights and responsibilities.
Year 11 General English is studying a media literary unit with ‘The Truman Show’, directed by Peter Weir, as a stimulus, and exploring issues such as consumerism, technological oligarchs, para-socialism and surveillance.
Year 11 Literature is studying Picnic at Hanging Rock, also directed by Peter Weir, learning to critically analyse texts through different literary lenses with this Romantic and Gothic Australian film as the base text.
Year 12 Essential English is learning about the study of community, local and global issues and the art of rhetoric.
Year 12 General English has been finishing up their studies on rhetoric before moving on to comparative depth study of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and the film adaptation of Twilight, directed by Catherine Hardwicke.
Last but not least, Year 12 Literature is finalising their first topic of Unit 3 which is studying the representations of the Spanish Civil War in Pan's Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro, before moving onto transformations of poetry into original, spoken imaginative works.
With such a diverse and engaging range of learning areas, students are developing critical thinking, creativity, and analytical skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.
Steven Rose
English Ambassador
English Ambassador Corner
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games is a gripping dystopian novel that follows Katniss Everdeen, an ordinary teenager of District 12, who is forced to fight for survival in a brutal, televised competition.
Set in the oppressive and totalitarian nation of Panem, the story explores themes of power, inequality, and resistance as Katniss challenges the ruthless elite of the Capital. With intense action, emotional depth, engaging suspense, and a compelling heroine, The Hunger Games keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Perfect for fans of adventure and thought-provoking storytelling, this novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys thrilling, character-driven narratives. This text is studied in Year 9 English in Term 3.
Steven Rose
English Ambassador
4-Star Book Review for The Hunger Games
Teaching and Learning- Mathematics PSMT Application
Year 10 students recorded measurements that they would need to calculate the surface area and height of the Resource Centre as part of their problem solving and modelling task this term.
Mrs Grace Ogoti
Mathematics Teacher
Head of Year 7 & 8