Welcome parents to the end of Week 6. It is always so hard to believe how quickly the weeks go by.
Attendance
Congratulations to our students who for the first 5 weeks of school have achieved 100%. Please keep an eye out in the mail I have sent something home to celebrate and share your dedication to coming to school and giving everyday you best effort.
Raising Adolescence
Raising Adolescents can be challenging.
Listed below are reasons this age bracket can at times be difficult:-
Despite these challenges, strong, consistent relationships both with your child and the school creates open communication help adolescents feel connected and supported by those around them as they grow.
Miles SHS Collaborative (home and school) Culture – Positive Vibes through Parent/Carer School Partnerships
Many thanks to the parent/carers who have worked with our staff over the last six weeks to ensure that together we continue to identify student needs and build supportive strategies that are consistent both at home and school.
A strong, positive school culture doesn’t happen by accident—it grows from genuine partnerships between families and educators.
When schools and parents/carers work together, students benefit socially, emotionally, and academically.
These relationships form the foundation for a welcoming, understanding, inclusive and high‑trust environment.
Please contact me on principal@milesshs.eq.edu.au if you have any further ideas or strategies to continue to build our valued school and home partnership.
Josette Moffatt
Five Questions for Learning:
To support students to take ownership of their learning, teaching in classes are referring to the five questions for learning:
Leaders in the school use these questions when they are in classrooms on Learning Walks throughs. This is an opportunity for students to share their learning and for the school to Know the Learner and then make plans to support the students in their next steps.
Have a great couple of weeks and remember to follow the Communication Flowchart if you have any questions relating to your student.
NAPLAN
Our students are amid assessment, and it is important that your student attends school to complete their assessment and meet deadlines. Yr 7 and 9 students will be completing NAPLAN practice next week and it is to ensure the delivery of NAPLAN over Week 7 and 8 runs smoothly. We wish our Yr 7 and 9 students all the best as they tackle NAPLAN from Wednesday 11th March and remember there will be a breakfast provided to the students on Day 1 and Day 3 of NAPLAN Monday 16th March, served at 8.30am.
Senior Students driving
Each year our senior students are achieving their Provisional licence to drive a vehicle. It is a time to celebrate but also a time to be cautious especially when other students are travelling with them. Our rules with bringing your vehicle to school and driving has not changed, and a form requiring your parent’s permission is required annually whilst at school. This form can be collected from our main admin office. Until this form has been completed, students should not be driving their vehicle to school.
If you are a passenger, you require written permission from your parent to travel in someone else’s vehicle. This correspondence must be given to the main admin office, and we must also receive from the driver’s parent confirmation that they are happy for their child to be driving the other student/s.
If this process is not followed students will be informed that they will not be able to bring their vehicle to school and will be required to find another source of transport.
Student riding bikes
Not only is riding to school healthy for kids, but it is also fun! If your child is in primary school, you can ride with them until they are confident. Once they have the skills and feel safe on their bike, try to find a friend from their school they can ride with.
Parents can teach children riding to school:
Queensland Government states when you ride a bicycle, you must wear an approved bicycle helmet. You must securely fit and fasten it. An approved bicycle helmet means a helmet that is certified. Wearing a properly fitted bicycle helmet remains compulsory.
Scooters
Riding a non-motorised scooter is a quick and fun way for kids to get to school! For parents it’s easy to walk alongside a child on a scooter. Riders are not legally required to wear a helmet when using human-powered wheeled recreational devices. However, a helmet is required if the scooter has an electric motor.
On top of following the general road rules a there are a few different rules in place for riders that ensure a safer ride:
Non motorised scooters
Local governments often have local laws prohibiting the use of wheeled recreational devices and wheeled toys on busy roads and footpaths.
Contact your local council for more information on local laws in your area.
Raelene Bates
Attendance Matters – Everyday Counts
At our school, we place a strong emphasis on regular attendance because being at school every day is one of the most important factors in a student’s learning and success.
Our school attendance policy sets a target of 95% attendance for all students. This means missing no more than one day every three weeks of school. Regular attendance ensures students stay on track with their learning, build positive routines, and remain connected with their teachers and peers.
Currently, we are noticing that a number of students are already sitting below 80% attendance, which is a significant concern. At this level of attendance, students are missing the equivalent of one day of school every week, which can have a serious impact on their academic progress and wellbeing.
For our senior students, attendance is especially important. To be eligible to receive a QCAA certificate or qualification, students must meet the minimum attendance requirement of 85%. Falling below this level can place a student’s ability to successfully complete their senior studies at risk.
We also remind families that it is a legal requirement for parents and carers to notify the school of the reason for any student absence. This can be done through the school office or the usual school communication channels.
If a student’s attendance begins to fall, the school’s attendance monitoring system will automatically generate Tier 1 attendance letters, which will be sent home to keep families informed and encourage early support.
We encourage all families to support their child in maintaining strong attendance habits. Every day at school matters, and every lesson counts. If you are experiencing challenges that are impacting your child’s attendance, please contact the school so we can work together to support your child’s success.
Simon Wilson
Term 1 is motoring through, and we are now past the halfway point. Each week there is lots going on and it is easy to become distracted and lose track of what needs to be completed. To help with this the planners and placemats have been released in their old format. It is our plan that these will be released through QParents next term.
QParents will be the one stop shop in getting all you information on what is happening in school. Thank-you to the parents who reached out to inform us that this was not working as planned for this term. It has allowed us to fix the issue before the main assessment push. Thanks also for your patience while this was rectified.
Next week will see our year 7 and 9 students engaging again in NAPLAN. This national collection of data allows us to determine how we are progressing compared to the national standard. It allows us to accurately plan the needs of your students in the years to come. To get ready for their NAPLAN students do not need any special preparation, but we do ask that students are well rested and have eaten prior to their exams. For your information the timetable can be found below. Please encourage students to do their best as we know they will. Also to help students get in a good head space, the school will put on a cooked breakfast for year 7 and 9 students on Wednesday 11 March and Monday 16 March. If a student is absent for one of the days, they will complete the missed paper in one of the catch-up sessions.
If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact Caleb Kuhl though the school or via email ckuhl13@eq.edu.au.
Week 7
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| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday 11 March | Thursday 12 March | Friday 13 March |
| Period 1 |
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| Year 9 Writing | Year 9 Language conventions | Miles Show Holiday |
| Period 2 |
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| Year 7 Writing | Year 7 Reading | |
| Period 3 |
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| Year 9 Reading | Catch-up session | |
| Period 4 |
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Week 8
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| Monday 16 March | Tuesday 17 March | Wednesday 18 March | Thursday 19 March | Friday 20 March |
| Period 1 | Year 7 language conventions | Year 7 Numeracy | Catch up session | Catch up session |
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| Period 2 | Year 9 Numeracy | Catch up session | Catch up session |
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| Period 3 | Catch up session |
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| Period 4 |
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This term we are continuing to focus on reading. This lifelong skill allows students to engage with many different facets of life. High school students, particularly in the lower year levels start to disengage from reading in favour of film, videos or audio texts. While this is an entertaining way to engage with stories, news or learn new information it can slow their development and ability to engage with learning if they don’t continue to practice. Their ability to read can create additional barriers to their learning if they don’t continue to develop this skill.
Students should be reading regularly as a part of their homework. This could include reading online information about what they are learning, reading books or news articles, text on forms and other documents or just for fun. They should engage with a wide range of text types and formats as each one has different reading requirements. Just like reading in a Mathematics class is very different to an English or Science class. Even if students don’t have texts from school specifically to read, you should be encouraging your students to be reading regularly.
Finally, I would like to remind you that assessment time is upon us. This means that students tend to be a bit anxious about getting everything completed on time. Sometimes this stress can manifest in different ways in your student. Please be encouraging your student to be working on their assessment and study even if they do not want to. This is of particular importance to students who suffer from procrastination. If you have any concerns, please make sure that you are reaching out to your classroom teacher, so they can work alongside you.
Good luck to all students completing NAPLAN and their assessment over the next few weeks.
Caleb Kuhl
As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, we would like to remind families about the risks associated with students consuming energy drinks — particularly before school.
Energy drinks are marketed as products that increase alertness and energy. However, they often contain very high levels of caffeine as well as significant amounts of sugar. While adults may choose to consume these products, they are not recommended for children or adolescents.
Why Are Energy Drinks a Concern?
When students consume energy drinks before school, we often see impacts such as:
For young people whose brains and bodies are still developing, high levels of caffeine can have a stronger and more negative effect than they do for adults.
Sleep disruption is particularly concerning. Students who consume caffeine in the morning may struggle to settle that evening, leading to fatigue the next day. This cycle can quickly impact learning, behaviour and overall wellbeing.
School Expectations
At Miles State High School (MSHS), energy drinks are considered a prohibited (banned) item due to the risks they pose to student health, safety and learning. Students should not bring energy drinks to school or consume them before attending.
This expectation is in place to:
If students are found with energy drinks, they will be asked to dispose of them or hand them to the teacher, this is in line with school policy.
Healthier Alternatives
We encourage families to support students by promoting healthier morning choices such as:
Consistent sleep routines and balanced nutrition are far more effective in supporting sustained energy, focus and emotional regulation throughout the school day.
We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing this important message at home. By working together, we can continue to support the wellbeing and success of all students at MSHS.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
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
Miles SHS is looking forward to working with the P&C Executives for 2026.
President - Katrina Gaze
Vice-President - Hayley Campbell
Secretary - Rebecca Sedgwick
Treasurer - Toni Brown
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.
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
