Dear Parents and Carers,

As we approach the end of Term 1, I want to take a moment to thank you for your continued support throughout what has been a dynamic and rewarding term. Despite challenges such as unpredictable weather and staffing shortages, one thing remains constant – our students (your children) are at the heart of everything we do. We are incredibly proud of them and grateful to have them as part of our Mackay High family.

Staff Farewells

As we head into the break, we say farewell to several valued team members:

• Dianne Watt – After beginning her career with the Department of Education in January 1992, Di is retiring to enjoy travel and time with her husband. We thank her for over three decades of service and contribution and hope she may return occasionally for relief work.
• Johanna Andersen – Johanna will be taking leave for the remainder of the year to travel overseas. We wish her well and look forward to welcoming her back in 2026.
• Mr Danny Cater and Ms Kate Watson – Our Rapid Response teachers who stepped in to support staffing needs this term. Thank you both for your contributions – we hope you’ve enjoyed your time at Mackay SHS.

We have recruited a number of new staff commencing in Term 2, and these appointments will be shared in a welcome letter before the start of the new term.

Tuesday Finish Time – Parent Feedback

Throughout this term, we’ve been reviewing the 1:10pm Tuesday finish for students – a model introduced to provide dedicated time for teacher collaboration, professional development and curriculum planning. These sessions have significantly benefited teaching and learning across the school.

However, we’ve also listened carefully to the feedback from our community – especially around supervision and engagement for younger students – and are opening discussion around proposed adjustments to meet the needs of students and families.

What’s proposed from Semester 2 onwards:

Years 7–9 students will remain at school until 3:00pm on Tuesdays and take part in two structured sessions:

• 35-minute Reading Program (or Academic Writing for advanced readers)
• 35-minute Literacy Session / Computer and Digital technology foundation skills

This proposal would use Term 2 to assess every student’s reading level, group students accordingly, and support teachers to develop, write and prepare resources for the delivery a high-quality, targeted program that meets each child’s literacy needs.

Years 10–12 students will continue to be dismissed after Period 3 at 1:10pm, with access to flexible learning opportunities during Period 4 (1:50pm – 3:00pm), including:

• Supervised study or assessment / exam preparation in our Resource Centre
• Certificate II in Financial Services or Certificate II in Self-Awareness (support for students at risk of not achieving QCE)
• Resume writing, interview skills, and job preparation workshops (delivered by our Industry Liaison Officer and Youth Support Coordinator)
• Leadership development, planning and volunteering activities for Prefects.
• School-based apprenticeships, traineeships, or part-time employment
• Private study at home

Parents will be required to choose their preferred option in Years 10-12 and provide consent.

We believe this is a balanced and responsive approach that continues to prioritise educational excellence, while addressing the feedback of our families. If you would like to have your say, please attend our next P&C Meeting on Monday 28^th April.  Please note, no decisions have been made.  We are opening the conversation for feedback, as we will also do with our staff and students.

Reporting and Parent–Teacher Interviews

Mackay SHS provides formal academic reports twice a year – at the end of each semester. In Term 1 and Term 3, we also issue interim updates on student progress in the form of a TrackEd profile, which includes achievement, effort, behaviour, and attendance data.

• Years 7–9 TrackEd profiles will be emailed home this Friday 4^th April
• Years 11–12 will receive their updates early next term.

We strongly encourage all families to attend our upcoming Parent–Teacher Interviews on Tuesday 6th May. If your child is not currently achieving a satisfactory result in a subject, it is highly recommended you book an interview to discuss support strategies and next steps.

Bookings will be managed through our new Compass Parent Portal, with full instructions included in this newsletter.

Compass Parent Portal – Launching Term 2

We are excited to introduce the Compass Parent Portal to Mackay SHS in Term 2. This powerful tool will work alongside QParents to keep families informed and connected.

With Compass, you’ll be able to:

• Book parent–teacher interviews
• View attendance
• Access timetables and school calendar events
• Email your child’s teachers

How to access Compass:

• Available on any browser, or by downloading the Compass School Manager App on iOS or Android
• You’ll receive a unique login and password from the school in the coming weeks.
• When you first log in, you’ll be prompted to confirm your email and phone number for secure communication.

We’ll provide step-by-step guides and reminder emails as we roll out features in stages, starting with Parent–Teacher Interview bookings.