Newsletter

Edition 16 Term 4 2025

In this edition

From the Principal

From the Deputy Principal

From Head of Wellbeing & Engagement

From the Guidance Officer

Term 4 2025

Experiencing Sporting Excellence

School Values

Miles SHS Calendar of Events - Term 4, Week 3 and Week 4

Miles SHS Date Claimers/Notices

Community Events/Notices

Audiri App Instructions

School Watch

From the Principal

Welcome to Term 4

Welcome back to Term 4 2025. A special welcome to our new students and their families, it is great to have you part of the Miles SHS community.

Already we have had our students engaged in so many business, industry and community supported curricular activities in just two weeks. Check them out in this edition. Many thanks to our businesses and industries that support our school, delivering the latest research, information and technology in all areas of our curriculum.

Year 6 into 7 Transition

Miles SHS has been working closely with our partner schools over the last two years implementing a transition program for students in Year 6 coming to Miles SHS in 2026. This term is more intensive and provides many real experiences of being a high school student. Many thanks to the parent/carers and students who have attended their enrolment interviews. The feedback from students and parent/carers at the enrolment meetings regarding the transition activities to date and questions they may still have, allow us to make changes to the upcoming programs we will be implementing this term. 

School Review

All Queensland state schools undergo a review at least once every 4 years. Schools are generally reviewed in the year that they are due to update their 4-year strategic plan. Review findings and feedback help to inform this planning process. It is hard to believe that four years have passed and in 2026, Miles SHS will continue a new cycle under a new strategic plan. We are excited to celebrate and continue the wonderful programs and opportunities our school and community partners have commenced over the last four years along with renewing focus on areas we believe we can do better.

Please send an email to me on principal@milesshs.eq.edu.au  if you have thoughts and ideas you wish us to consider and pursue in our next four year plan. I would love to hear from you. 

Year 12 Final Term

This is a busy, but exciting time for our Year 12 students. It is also a time of a heavy schoolwork load and assessment pressure. This, along with thoughts of the future and the uncertainty of change may create some anxiousness. Please continue to work with us to support your child to maintain momentum on the subject tasks ahead. Continue your amazing support as a listening and supportive ear for any stress and uncertainties that they may express. Please contact our Guidance Officer or a member of the school leadership team if you are concerned about the wellbeing of your child. We too will keep you informed of how we are seeing each of their academic progress and wellbeing. 

Take care

Josette Moffatt

From the Deputy Principal

Welcome to the end of Week 2 and another huge week for our students.  From Mock exams for our Year 12s, to STEM engagement for our Year 7 to 9 students.  Unfortunately, the rain affected the 'Ignite your Future' visit for some of our Year 9 and 10 students on Thursday but another opportunity for our students to gain insight into career pathways after school.

Next week, we will continue to hold Mock exams for our Year 12 students in preparation for their External exams starting in Week.  It is important for our Year 12 students to be on top of their assessment, especially Certificate courses and some students will be required to attend school each day over the block exams to ensure they meet QCAA requirements.

Students and their families will be contacted in Week 3, advising if their attendance is required daily over the 3 week block exams.

Thank you to students for the smooth transition back to school in Term 4 and a reminder to parents that Mondays is when our students should be in their formal uniform.  If you have not purchased a formal uniform or you are unable to access, please contact our HOD of Engagement - Mr Simon Wilson.  This message has been communicated to our students in Week 1 of the term. 

Raelene Bates

From Head of Wellbeing & Engagement

A reminder that in Term 4 Monday is Formal Uniform day. We are maintaining high expectations around uniform and jewellery throughout Term 4. 

From the Guidance Officer

Welcoming Harley to Miles State High School!

Miles State High School is thrilled to announce the launch of the Dogs Connect program — a whole-school wellbeing initiative designed to strengthen connection, support emotional regulation, and promote a calm and positive school culture.

As part of this program, we are very excited to welcome our new wellbeing dog, Harley, to the MSHS community. Harley will become an important member of our school and community, helping to support the wellbeing of students, staff, and families alike.

Our dedicated team of staff leading this exciting initiative have been working hard to start this process. These people include Mrs Moffatt, Ms Bates, Mrs Perry, Mr Perry and Miss Slaughter.  

We would also like to assure everyone that participation in this program is entirely optional — no one will be required to engage with Harley if they do not wish to.

We are planning for Harley’s first day to be in Week 4, and we can’t wait for everyone to meet her!

To help us prepare, families will receive a Family Considerations Checklist on Monday. This will be emailed to families and also sent home with students. We ask that this checklist be returned as soon as possible so that we can collate the information and ensure a smooth and supportive start for Harley.

We are incredibly proud to be part of this exciting new chapter for Miles State High School and our wider community. The introduction of Harley will provide opportunities for students to learn about empathy, responsibility, and connection — values that align closely with our school’s wellbeing focus.

Please keep an eye on our Miles State High School Facebook page over the coming days, where we’ll share more information and updates about the Dogs Connect program and Harley’s journey to joining our community in the near future.

If you would like to find out more, please feel free to check out the dogs connect website. https://dogsconnect.net.au/ 

Sarah Perry

You can speak with a trained professional by phone or webchat (6am-midnight), seven days a week.

An online bullying support forum is also available. This is a safe, moderated space to connect with others, ask questions, and share experiences.

📞 Call 1300 30 1300

💬 Visit parentline.com.au

Because parenting doesn’t come with a manual—but help is here when you need it.

Sarah Perry

Term 4 2025

Year 9/10 Ag

Tired of walking or driving over paddocks to locate Noxious weeds?

Thought of using your stock to be your eyes on the ground?  

Year 9/10 Ag Skill Students are currently working on a challenge to utilise livestock to locate noxious weeds using, GPS, livestock mounted cameras, Machinery Vision Technology which then is incorporated into a livestock/farm program as weed location to spray in the future.   

This is a STEM challenge incorporated with Origin and our students will be competing against other High Schools.  The students need to complete the following prior to submitting entry in Week 7.  Poster, 5 minutes video pitch presentation for judging.

On Thursday week 8, they are required to do their pitch presentation live to the other schools and judges will be asking questions about their project.  After which winners will be announced, followed by a small class celebratory pizza party.  

If you have any questions about this challenge and its application please contact Vikki Knight or any of the students involved. 

Real life AgriTech in Classrooms.

Mrs Knight

Year 9 Science

QMEA Big Day In

On Wednesday we had representatives from the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy conduct a series of rotational activities with our Year 7, 8 and 9 students. These activities included Laser Line-up, Roaming Robots, Powerful Pulleys and Engineering Water Treatment. 

Experience Sporting Excellence

REMINDER: If students are wanting to participate in sport trials, forms MUST be returned by the due date and the mandatory levy payment made. The due dates are set to ensure that ample time is available for team managers to have the trial event organised and all paperwork submitted. 

SW Basketball (13 - 16 Years)

Elijah

SW Softball (13 - 18 Years)

Summa

Darling Downs Cricket

Dalton

Experience Your Future

CCCI Ignite Your Future Tour

This week a number of Year 9 and 10 students participated in the CCCI Ignite Your Future Tour. Due to heavy rain the night before we were unable to visit the Cameby Downs Coal Mine, however our tour of Stanbroke Feedlot went ahead as scheduled and students were then given the opportunity to attend a number of professional session at the Chinchilla Cultural Centre. Sessions included career information on accounting, law, information technologies, apprenticeship and traineeship pathways, entrepreneurship and engineering. During the engineering session students were challenged to build a fan to generate electricity. Some of our Miles State High students took the win generating 7.2 millivolts with their creation!

Work Experience

Congratulations to those students who completed work experience placements in the last week of term 3 or over their school holidays. Feedback from the host providers has been extremely positive, with some students opening doors to potential future employment for themselves.

If your student is interested in exploring a work placement in Term 4 to help them decide on a career pathway, please encourage them to connect with Mrs Beutel in the Flexi-Centre (on Tuesday or Thursday each week). 

Miles SHS Calendar of Events

Term 4 Week 3

Monday 20th October – Year 12 Mock Exam – Chemistry, 9:00am – 10:40am, Mock Exam – Chemistry – 12:00pm – 1:40pm

Monday 20th October – Senior School – Queensland Fire Brigade Presentation, 1:50pm – 3:00pm

Monday 20th October – RI – Year 7, 8, 9, 2:25pm

Wednesday 22nd October – Year 12 Mock Exam – Health, 10:50am – 1:10pm

Wednesday 22nd October – P&C Meeting, MPA Conference Room, 4:30pm

Wednesday 23rd October - Year 11 Creepy Cuisine Lunch

Term 4 Week 4

Monday 27th October - Year 7 & 10 Immunisations, MPA Conference Room, 1:00pm

Tuesday 28th October - Year 12 General English External Exam, MPA Conference Room, 8:50am - 12:00pm

Wednesday 29th October - Year 6 Transition Day

Friday 31st October - Year 12 Biology External Exam, MPA Conference Room, 8:50am - 11:00am & 12.00pm - 2:00pm

Friday 31st October - Newsletter Due

Miles SHS Date Claimers / Notices

Reminder - Homework Centre

Homework Centre is up and running, 3pm to 4.30pm every Monday and Wednesday afternoon.  Parents will need to complete a permission form from the Main Office and book on Sobs.  If unable to book on SOBS, please ring the office to confirm student attendance.

https://eq.sobs.com.au/pt3/parent.php?schoolid=70139 

Community Events / Notices

Reminder: Animals are not permitted on school property

Please email all planned absences to absentee@milesshs.eq.edu.au (prior to your child’s absence)

Miles State High School

Miles State High School is proud to be part of a community that embraces PARTNERS IN LEARNING together our students, their families, our wider community and our staff are committed to working together to ensure that every student succeeds.

Respect | Integrity | Safety | Engagement