Welcome parents and new families to Mackay State High School for our final term of the year!
It’s shaping up to be a very busy one, filled with celebrations, important milestones, and opportunities to finish the year strong.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone for your continued support and teamwork across our school community. This was especially highlighted at our Sports Awards Evening held this week — an event that was incredibly well organised and beautifully presented.

A massive thank you to Ms Nina Jones and the HPE Team for their efforts in bringing this event together. It was wonderful listening to our coaches reflect on their seasons and to celebrate the achievements of so many talented student athletes who proudly represent Mackay High.

We were also privileged to hear from our keynote speaker, Olympic Gold Medallist and former Mackay State High School student, Tracey Belbin, who shar

ed a powerful message about “grit” — the importance of working hard, pushing through challenges, and striving for success. Her story was an inspiring reminder of what’s possible when determination meets opportunity.

Farewell and Best Wishes

This week marks a major milestone for our Year 12 students, who will officially complete their final week of classes before entering their external exam period. We wish all of our students the very best of luck.

A special thank you to our Year 12 teachers, who have invested an incredible amount of time and care in preparing our students for this important stage. We will hold a special parade on Monday to celebrate this milestone and wish our students well as they take their next steps.

Our Year 11 students will be on exam block in Week 3— please check the schedule to ensure your child is aware of their exam commitments.

On Friday, we will also farewell two valued staff members — Ms Nina Jones and Mr Vincent Propsting — who have made an enormous contribution to our school. Nina and Vince are returning home to the Northern Territory, and we wish them every success in their next chapters.

Welcome to Mackay SHS!

We are delighted to welcome back Mr Zach Schill, who will be stepping into the role of Head of Department – Health & Physical Education and Sporting Academies. Zach returns to us after leading the Wellbeing and Education branch at the Mackay Cutters. We are also thrilled to welcome Mr Samuel Paul, our new Chaplain, who will be a wonderful addition to our Student Support Services team.

Reminders and Expectations

As we move further into Term 4, please help us by ensuring your child is prepared and ready for learning every day.

Students are expected to:

• Attend school every day and be on time for each class.
• Bring a charged laptop, writing materials, and a water bottle to school each day.
• Wear a hat when outside during breaks, as the weather continues to warm up.

Water bottles are permitted in classrooms; however, students should not be leaving lessons to get drinks. Please remind your child to be organised and ready to learn each day.

We have also noticed a small number of disruptive and defiant behaviours appearing in some classrooms. Our teachers follow a consistent process to manage behaviour, which includes: