21 August 2025

A Word from the Principal…

As we move through Term 3, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the dedication and resilience of our students, staff and families. The energy across our school is inspiring, with learning, creativity, and connection at the heart of everything we do.

This term has brought exciting opportunities, achievable challenges, and moments of growth for our school community. I’m proud of the way our students continue to engage with their learning and support one another, and I thank our staff for their unwavering commitment to excellence and care. Here’s what’s been happening this term.

Peer Support Wellbeing Program

Our Peer Support Leaders have been actively facilitating Pastoral Care activities with students in Years 7–10, based on the ‘Take a Minute’ training developed by the Mental Health Council of Tasmania. This initiative, part of the Youth Mental Health Access Project, aims to:

• Empower young people to support mental wellbeing within their peer groups;
• Promote peer-to-peer education and support;
• Equip students with practical knowledge and skills to foster positive mental health;
• Encourage ongoing wellbeing through meaningful peer engagement.

Sessions are held every Monday during Period 1, and students have been contributing to visual displays around the school that showcase their learning and promote positive mental health messages. The program has been well received and is fostering a culture of care and connection among our students. A huge thank you to our Peer Support team and all students for making this such a positive and meaningful start to the program!

Leadership in the Community – Winter Sports Support

Our House Captains and Vice Captains have demonstrated outstanding leadership by supporting the Circular Head Cluster Primary Schools during their Winter Sports program, which runs over four Fridays this term. This initiative has provided a valuable opportunity for our student leaders to engage with younger students, primary school staff, and community members. Their involvement has been greatly appreciated and reflects our commitment to fostering strong community partnerships and leadership development.

Year 6 into 7 Parent Information Evening

We also hosted our first Year 6 into 7 Parent Information Evening—a new initiative for 2025—which was well supported with 40 attendees. The evening aimed to share key information about our school with families of potential Year 7 students. A major highlight was a guided tour of the school, during which staff introduced families to various programs and learning areas. Jo Drake, our Transition Leader, played a central role in facilitating the event, which forms part of a broader transition program designed to support new students and their families as they prepare to join our school community in 2026.

Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews

Our recent Parent-Teacher-Student Interviews were well attended and provided a valuable opportunity for families to engage directly with teaching staff. It was fantastic to welcome parents into the school to discuss their child’s learning and progress. These conversations are critical in building strong connections between school and home, and in supporting each student’s educational journey.

Staffing Update

We are currently seeking a Maths/Science teacher and advertising for this position is underway. Aside from this vacancy, our overall staffing is stable and well positioned to support our students and programs.

Upcoming Satisfaction Surveys

Starting Monday August 25, our Student Wellbeing, Staff, and Family Satisfaction Surveys will open for a three-week period. These surveys provide critical feedback for our school and are used by DECYP to assess what is working well and where improvements can be made. We encourage all students, families and staff to participate, as their input plays a vital role in shaping our school’s direction and priorities.

Check out the information below and take a moment to set a calendar reminder to complete the survey as we want as many families to complete it, as possible. Take the online survey by pasting this into your browser: https://nam.dcv.ms/L7DZxKtxot or keep an eye on your text messages as we will send the link to you.

Staff Professional Learning Focus

Staff professional learning this term has centred around our key priorities of Reading and Improved Attendance. In Reading, the focus continues to be on Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary development and reading texts aloud in classrooms to build student understanding and comprehension.

In the area of attendance, staff have been using Power BI to analyse attendance data—identifying patterns across cohorts, class groups, and individual students. This work is important for several reasons:

• Regular attendance is directly linked to improved academic outcomes
• Identifying and addressing attendance issues early helps prevent long-term disengagement
• Attendance data informs targeted support strategies for students and families
• Building a culture of consistent attendance strengthens school connectedness and wellbeing.

Congratulations to our students!

Well done to the following students for outstanding achievement in Sport and Science.

• Ruby Lardner – Representative of the Tasmanian U/15 girls hockey team, playing in the SSA Championships recently held in Canberra
• Riley Monson and Taite Horton – Winners of Year 9/10 Discovery Team event at Science Gig
• Ionee Cruz - Runner Up Year 9/10 Discovery Team event at Science Gig
• Clancy Payne and Xianna Inciong - High Commendation, Year 9/10 Discovery Team event at Science Gig

As always, there is plenty happening across our school and it’s encouraging to see so many initiatives progressing positively. From student leadership and wellbeing programs to staff development and community engagement, we continue to build momentum. The collective efforts of our students, staff, and families are creating a strong foundation for ongoing growth and success at Smithton High School.

Nikki Clark
Principal

Support Systems at SHS

At Smithton High School, we are dedicated to supporting our students' learning, social, and emotional wellbeing through a variety of programs.

Our support system includes- Social Workers, Psychologist, School Nurse, Self-Esteem Groups, Outer School Agencies, Mini/MaqLit Program and Mentoring.

Our mentoring program offers supports such as

• Re-engagement Initiatives
• Life Skills Workshops
• Attendance Support
• Literacy and Numeracy Assistance
• Peer Relationships
• Skill Development

We believe in nurturing every aspect of our students' growth and ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed. 

Term 2 Major LARF Awards

Congratulations to our Term 2 major award winners. Grade 7 Shayla, Grade 8 Jhett, Grade 9 Xianna, Grade 10 Nardia. These students were chosen for continually displaying our school values of learn, achieve, respect and fairness.

Team Building in Years 7 and 8

Recently our Year 7 and 8 students came together to celebrate the achievements of their peers during our Grade assemblies. We wrapped up Pastoral Care with some fun and engaging team-building activities.

Science Week

Circular Head Science Gig

Congratulations to the following students from our 9/10 Applied Science class for their success in the recent Science Gig held at the Circular Head Recreation Centre. 

Winners in the Discovery Section-Riley Monson and Taite Horton- Experiment on the optimum pitch blade angle for a wind turbine located in Circular Head.

Second Place in the Discovery Section -Ionee Cruz- Experiment on how to make Graphene at home.

Third Place in the Discovery Section- Clancy Payne and Xianna Inciong- Experiment on the optimum iced cube shape that keeps your beverage the freshest for the longest.

The Big Science Fair Burnie

The Applied Science class also travelled to Burnie on Tuesday to represent Smithton High School at The Big Science Fair. As well as our winning Science Gig entries, the following entries were also on display:

• Jorja Fisher- Plastics to diesel
• Huon Prior- Extracting gold from your old computers
• Sam Radford- Bryan- Effectiveness of disinfectants in killing bacteria
• Zane Williams- Seaweed to biodiesel
• Sarah Al Saadoon- Cost effectiveness of different absorbent paper brands.

These students represented the school in a regional competition that had over 150 entrants from the high schools located between Devonport and Smithton. Students had to present their reports and answer questions about their investigations to a panel of judges. We are still waiting to hear back about the results of this competition. As always, our students represented our school with pride and exhibited exemplary behaviour.

Vietnam Veterans Day

9-2 had a special visitor during History linked to Vietnam Veterans Day. Tony Young came to share some stories, facts and life lessons from his time before, during and after the war!

Emmerton Park Radio Station

SHS students are back at Emmerton Park Radio Station every Monday delivering news and tunes to the residents.

Preparation for Work

Preparation for Work and Business and Finance classes were lucky to have Erica visit our classes to share her inspiring experience as a volunteer with the State Emergency Service (SES), offering students a firsthand look into the vital role these volunteers play in keeping communities safe. She explained the wide range of tasks SES volunteers undertake—from storm response and flood rescue to search and rescue operations—and highlighted the teamwork, training, and commitment involved. Erica also outlined the steps to become an SES volunteer, including visiting the SES website, completing an application, and undergoing basic training. Her presentation emphasized the importance of community service and showed how anyone with a willingness to help and learn can make a meaningful difference through volunteering.

Year 9/10 Preparation for Work students had the exciting opportunity to visit the local ambulance station, where they were educated by Corey, Branch Station Officer in Smithton, Rhys, the on-shift paramedic currently rostered in Smithton, and Erica, an Ambulance Volunteer studying to become a paramedic. Students enjoyed learning about the structure of the job, the equipment carried in ambulance kits, how vital signs are monitored, and what life is like working as a paramedic.
Students looked through both the Sprinter and the 4WD Ambulance, seeing the differences between the two. They were able to ventilate the intubated mannequin, feel it’s pulse and see a defibrillator in action. How lucky are out students.

Art at SHS

Year 7 Indigenous Australian artwork

Year 10 enlargement artwork

Year 12 self portrait

TAS Dance

On August 12th, students at Smithton High School were given a unique opportunity to participate in a dynamic dance workshop facilitated by TAS Dance. This engaging session allowed students to learn from some of Tasmania’s most talented dancers, gaining valuable skills in movement, rhythm, and choreography.

The workshop was not only a chance to explore new routines but also to build confidence, teamwork, and creativity in a supportive environment. Students thoroughly enjoyed the experience, with many expressing enthusiasm for future sessions.

We extend our sincere thanks to TAS Dance for their professionalism and energy, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Smithton High School soon.

Community News

Dates to Remember…

Term Dates 2025

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
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