26 September 2025

Every School Day Matters

We love seeing your children at school, every day. Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn, grow and connect with their friends and teachers. It gives us a chance to engage with your child. We all play a part in helping our kids get to school every day. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most. With an education and support for wellbeing, anything is possible for our children and young people. Talk to us at school or visit Anything can happen - Department for Education, Children and Young People.

A Word from the Principal…

This term’s photo board features a selection of student work that reflects the creativity, insight, and care evident across our learning programs.

Art pieces such as the paper mâché sculptures and dot-painted turtles highlight both imagination and cultural appreciation. One student shared, “I loved using colour to tell a story—it felt like my ideas came to life.”

Our wellbeing focus continues through the “Take a Minute” initiative, which encourages connection and support. As a student noted, “It’s good to know someone’s there if you need to talk.”

Classroom discussions and visual projects around identity, friendship, and change have been thoughtful and engaging. “Being Australian means respecting everyone’s story,” wrote one student, while another reflected, “A good friend is someone who listens and stands by you.”

In the library, new titles and seasonal displays have sparked interest and encouraged reading. “I found a book I didn’t expect to love—it’s now my favourite,” said a Year 8 student.

Thank you to all staff, students and families for contributing to a school culture grounded in creativity, respect, and continuous growth.

Warm regards,
Nikki Clark
Principal

Major LARF Award Winners

Congratulations to our Term 3 Major LARF award winners. These students have consistently demonstrated our school values all Term, along with an excellent attendance record & attitude to learning. The Year 7 winner is Tex Walker, Year 8 Judd Ryan, Year 9 Duke Marcello and for Year 10 Huon Prior.

Wellbeing Walk

🌿 Smithton High's Wellbeing Walk – A Student-Led Initiative! 🌿

Our incredible student leadership team has brought a fresh burst of positivity to our school with the creation of a Wellbeing Walk – a thoughtfully designed space that encourages reflection, connection, and self-care. The walk is a visual celebration of student voice and wellbeing. We’re so proud of our students for leading with heart and creativity. A BIG thanks to Jeff and Connor at Seen Signs.

Women’s Equality Day

Students were invited to write a short essay about a woman who has influenced them, someone who has inspired, empowered, or made a meaningful impact in their life. Thank you everyone who entered and a BIG congratulations to Milly who was announced as the winner.

We also had the privilege of welcoming several influential women from our local community who have made and continue to make a meaningful impact in Circular Head: Tammy Edwards, Annette Dawes, Betty Kay, Lizzie Gale and Ally Coates.

Each guest shared their personal journey, the work they do, and how they got to where they are today. Their stories were inspiring and empowering, reminding our students of the strength found in resilience, leadership, and community spirit.

A huge thank you to our SEC leaders Jorja and Madeline, for hosting and helping make the day so special.

We’re proud to celebrate these incredible women and look forward to continuing this tradition at SHS.

Circular Head STEMM Expo

Our Year 8 students had the opportunity to participate in 'aHead of the Curve: Circular Head STEMM Expo 2025'.

The half day event was held at the Circular Head Study Centre on September 3rd by the University of Tasmania, together with industry partners and supported by the Circular Head Education and Training Consultative Committee.

Students participated in a series of activities and engaged with university educators and students as well as industry specialists in a range of science areas - 

* Geography, Planning & Spatial Sciences
* Mathematics & Physics
* Earth Sciences
* Medicine & Nursing
* Agriculture (Livestock production)
* Chemistry & plant biology

The feedback from students and our staff who attended was really positive. There was something for everyone.

We'd like to sincerely thank Danielle Stone, our UTAS Regional Learning Officer based here in Circular Head, Tony and Patsy from the Study Centre, the UTAS team who travelled from Hobart and other campuses and the industry specialists who were so generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise with our students. 

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Big Science Fair

Our students were outstanding when they recently attended the Big Science Fair in Burnie.

There were 10 categories represented and SHS entered four of these and came away with at least one award for each. Congratulations to;

Energy Science- Two runners-up; Jorja Fisher with a project where she converted thermoplastics into diesel fuel. The other runners-up were Riley Monson and Taite Horton. They experimented on the optimum rotor blade angle for wind turbines in the Circular Head region.

Chemistry Science- Runner-up Huon Prior. He modified a technique for extracting gold from the microcircuitry system of a laptop computer.

Material Science- Winner- Ionee Cruz. He used a simple technique to convert ground carbon powder into graphene (a material 200x stronger than steel and can be used in construction, electronics and space science)

Because of our success in the above categories, SHS was awarded the School Engagement Award- STEM.  

A big thankyou to our Applied Science teacher David Wyatt and our Lab Technician Stacey Flint for guiding the students along the way.

North-West Maths Relay

On the 22nd of September, eight students from Years 8 and 10 attended the NW maths relay in Burnie to compete against schools from across the region. Students had a great day and did their best in a very challenging competition!! Congratulations to those involved.

Outdoor Education

Ben Lomond Camp – Day 1

The Outdoor Ed students set off to Ben Lomond National Park on Monday the 18th of August. They arrived at the lower car park just after lunch and proceeded to take the shuttle transfer through Jacob's ladder. The students worked together to transport all the gear from the drop off to the accommodation. Once settled into their accommodation, the students eagerly hiked to the summit of Ben Lomond where they could see the sunset and play with some snow. For many students this was the first time they've seen snow, the excitement for snow angels, snowballs was real. Back at the accommodation the students cooked dinner (chicken burgers) and played games and trivia. An early night was needed ready for day 2.  

Day 2

Students woke up early and were at the snow by 9 am. The first task included a snow man competition, which some found challenging as the snow was frozen from the overnight temperature of -5. After the safety talk, the students spent several hours mastering their toboggan skills. After lunch, students were keen to go back to the snow where they participated in a capture the flag game with a snow ball fight. At the end of the day, when the ski lift closed the students, took their toboggans up the ski slopes for their last race. 

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Preparation for Work

Circular Head Heritage Centre

The Year 9/10 Preparation for Work class took a fascinating step back in time with a tour of the Circular Head Heritage Centre at the Duck River Pavilion. The visit was designed to help students connect with the rich history of Circular Head and it certainly delivered. Guiding the tour was Elayne Blake, whose deep knowledge and passion for local heritage brought the exhibits to life. From stories of pioneering families to relics of the timber and maritime industries, Elayne captivated the students with engaging insights and anecdotes. Her ability to connect historical artifacts with real-life stories made the experience both educational and memorable, sparking curiosity and appreciation for the region’s past.

Dutch Mill

Our Year 9/10 Preparation for Work class visited Dutch Mill at Edith Creek for an engaging and educational tour. Simon Lovell led the students through an informative session on the UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) milk processing system, explaining the production line and the wide range of products tailored to meet specific consumer needs.

The students were highly engaged throughout the visit, asking thoughtful questions and showing genuine interest in the processes involved. A definite highlight was receiving chocolate milk at the end of the tour—much to their delight!

Farm Visit to Smokersbank

The Year 9/10 Preparation for Work class had the opportunity to visit Luke Korpershoek’s farm at Smokersbank. The students explored the day-to-day operations of a working farm and gained valuable insights into the life cycle of dairy cows.

They learned how the herd is managed by separating cows that have calved from those that haven’t, and were introduced to innovative farming technologies such as cow collars and virtual fencing. These tools help farmers monitor and manage livestock more efficiently and humanely.

A highlight of the day was visiting the calves—students were thrilled to get up close, give them a pat, and see firsthand how young animals are cared for on the farm.

Circular Head Council

Our Year 9/10 students had an inspiring and eye-opening day touring the local council facility as part of their work preparation program.

From waste management and urban planning to community services and environmental sustainability, students got a behind-the-scenes look at the many departments that keep our community thriving.

It was a fantastic opportunity to learn about the diverse career pathways within local government and the incredible work our council does every day to support and improve life in our region.

A huge thank you to Amber and the council employees who generously shared their time, knowledge, and passion. You’ve sparked curiosity and broadened horizons for our future workforce!

9/10 Cookie Competition

The Year 9/10 Foods class participated in a cookie design competition. The students were provided with a cookie dough recipe and were required to transform it into their own creation. There were three judges involved that assessed five criteria. The students were responsible to time manage their recipes and present it to the judges. We would like to thank all the staff that volunteered their time to judge the event. 

In the first cooking group the winners were the 'Colli Cooking Cookies' by Hannah Sutton-Collins and Alexis Stokes and the runners-up 'Sweet Bites' by Madeline Edwards and Nardia Ainslie.

In the second group the winners were 'Robbo's birthday cookies' by Elvis Vander Laan and Robert Flint and runner-up was ' Flinty's Cookies' by Charlotte Flint. 

The 2025 cookie master champions are Hannah Sutton-Collins and Alexis stokes with their Ferrero Hazelnut cookies. Described by the students as a “freshly baked, soothing warm, crunchy chocolate hazelnut cookie jam; packed with a smooth nutty chocolate taste and topped with a delicate Ferrero Rocher to ensure your satisfaction and happiness. From our kitchen to your heart”

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7.2 Art

Silhouettes

Football Gala Day

On Tuesday the 2nd of September, a crew of 16 Year 8, 9 and 10 girls, accompanied by Mr Davies (coach), Sophie (team manager) and Mr Perry (umpire) travelled along the coast to Marist Regional college to partake in the Girls’ School Footy Gala Day. The girls played against teams from Marist, Burnie High and Wynyard High, with many of the local girls from the Saints under 14s team displaying their skillsets from their successful year in the NWJFL. The Year 9 and 10 girls showed great leadership and sportsmanship to their peers throughout the day, many of which also having spent the year playing in the Saints under 17s girls’ team, putting their skills from the year on show. Although the day was not filled with success on the scoreboard, the girls showed up and gave it their all, gelling well as a team and displaying great energy. We would like to thank Marist for hosting the day and the staff and students from Marist, Burnie High and Wynyard High who sent students to fill out our numbers when we were short for games.

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CHArts

Bronte, Brax and Stef from Year 7 and Emily from Year 10 entered their artwork in the CHArts Festival. These amazing entries, along with various other exhibitors from within Circular Head, can be viewed at 59 Emmett Street Smithton.

Miah, Tori and Hannah have portraits exhibited in a statewide travelling exhibition, 'Young Archies Award'. The exhibition is currently in Hobart, before coming to Launceston, then to the Burnie Library from 6^th - 25^th October. Their entries are below, great work girls!

Lunchtime Activities

During lunch time, teachers and support staff have been offering students a variety of activities. These include chess club, card and board games, Just Dance, Knitting and Crochet, arts and crafts and School of Rock. All activities have been very popular, especially during the wet and cold winter days. Thanks to everyone who participates in these activities and for the SEC for arranging.

Chess Club

Community News

Dates to Remember…

Term Dates 2025

Student Free Days 2025

Year 7-10
Friday 6th June
Friday 31st October

Office Hours

8.30am – 3.30pm daily
School Starts: 8.50am
School Finishes: 3.00pm

School Office Ph: 6452 9222
Trade Training Centre Ph: 6452 9288

SMS: 0418 220 201
Email: smithton.high@decyp.tas.gov.au
Web: http://education.tas.edu.au/smithtonhigh/Pages/Home.aspx
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smithton-High-School/219062138251149