Reflecting on success and looking ahead
Executive Principal, Mr Monte
As the year draws to a close, it is both a privilege and an honor to lead a remarkable institution like Gunnedah High School.
Extracurricular Excellence
This year, we proudly offered over 230 extracurricular experiences, enriching our students’ lives beyond the classroom. These opportunities included a diverse range of activities, such as:
- Year 11 Snow trip
- Cultural excursions
- University visits
- TAFE taster days
- 10-week short courses
- The Momentum driving program and;
- Sporting excellence initiatives.
Highlights included interstate travel to Queensland for Year 10 students and a trip to Darwin for the Ampol Red Bull V8 Supercars with our Clontarf young men.
Academic + Wellbeing Initiatives
In addition to these enriching experiences, we launched key programs to support student development:
- Vocabulary Literacy Initiative: Designed to enhance students’ language skills.
- Whole School Positive Rewards: Aimed at celebrating and encouraging student achievement and engagement.
Our students also benefitted from partnerships with external providers such as Creating Chances, Growth Coaching, Headspace, and Momentum. These programs, which focus on well-being, emotional intelligence, employability skills, resilience, obtaining driver’s licenses and birth certificates, and promoting healthy lifestyles, have been instrumental in developing well-rounded individuals.
Celebrating Staff Dedication
These achievements are matched only by the unwavering dedication of our teaching and non-teaching staff, whose efforts ensure measurable growth for students, staff, and senior leadership each year.
Strengthening Cultural Connections
This year, we were proud to welcome new Clontarf staff, led by Grant Elwin, and introduce the STARS Foundation, led by Enja Ryan, to support our female Aboriginal students.
Our Cultural Hub, guided by Senior Leader Community Engagement Kellie Harrison and esteemed community leaders Dot Wortley and Tracey Towns, continues to grow in strength and influence. This initiative fosters a rich cultural connection for both students and staff.
Supporting Transitions and Community Engagement
The highly successful Year 6 into Year 7 transition program in 2024 ensured our incoming students understand Gunnedah High School’s expectations and core values, setting them up for a confident start to their learning journey in 2025.
In Term 4, the formation of our School Reference Group has further ensured that community voices remain at the forefront of our decision-making.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we move into 2025, our focus will remain on Gunnedah High School’s core values: Respect, Responsibility, and Strive for Your Best.
Our key priorities include:
- Enhancing student engagement and maintaining high expectations.
- Strengthening community engagement to ensure every student feels known, valued, and cared for.
- Supporting and valuing our staff within the school and the broader community.
- Actively listening to, valuing, and respecting the voices of our parents and community members.
As we close out the year, I encourage everyone to enjoy a safe and restful break with family and friends. Take time to recharge and reflect on the successes of the past year.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Gunnedah High School. I look forward to continuing our journey together in 2025.
Dates for your diary
JANUARY
- School Development Day #1 Fri 31 Jan
FEBRUARY
- School Development Day #2 Mon 3 Feb
- School Development Day #3 Tue 4 Feb
- Ready, Set, GHS! Tue 4 Feb
- School Development Day #4 Wed 5 Feb
- Term 1 starts Thu 6 Feb
- Year 7 Keepit Excursion Tue 11 Feb
- Swimming Carnival Fri 21 Feb
News
Join us on Tuesday, February 4, between 3-5 PM in the Hall for our back-to-school event!
Here’s what’s in store:
- Collect your timetable
- Meet your teachers
- Receive a free uniform (polo shirt and shorts)
- Pick up a free stationery pack
- Enjoy a free BBQ
This is a fantastic opportunity for all students and their families to connect with teachers and kick off the school year together!
Patricia Parry awarded prestigious Harding Miller Scholarship
Special congratulations go to Year 8 student, Patricia Parry, who has been awarded the Harding Miller Scholarship worth $20,000 to support her studies over the next four years.
Careers Advisor Mr Rob Mason said, "Patricia exemplifies the calibre of the best at Gunnedah High and is a deserving recipient of this outstanding scholarship."
The scholarship includes a high-quality laptop in the first year as well as four years of;
- Online IT support
- High-speed internet
- $2500 worth of online or face to face tutoring
- Online homework help
- Prepaid expense cards for essential school needs such as uniforms, textbooks, and school excursions
Scholarships awarded in Leadership, Arts, and Sports
Eight students starting at Gunnedah High next year have been awarded scholarships in categories, including Sporting Excellence, Creative Arts, and Leadership and Community Service.
As scholarship recipients, these students will receive assistance with educational expenses, including materials, a fully paid Year 7 excursion, and a full school uniform.
The scholarships are awarded for the duration of 2025, provided that students maintain the required attendance, academic, and behavioral standards.
Congratulations to the following scholarship recipients:
- Amber King – Leadership and Community Service
- Levi Elphick – Creative Arts
- Noah Elphick – Creative Arts
- Summar Bretag – Creative Arts
- Amelia Anscombe – Creative Arts
- Phillip Grocke – Sporting Excellence
- Darcie Crane – Sporting Excellence
- Brooklyn Douglas – Sporting Excellence
We look forward to seeing all of you thrive at Gunnedah High!
Annual Awards Presentation
Our annual awards presentation on Tuesday, December 10 celebrated the outstanding academic, sporting, and cultural achievements of our students in Years 7 to 11.
Our School Captains for 2025 were formally presented with their badges.
Our special guests included Kathy Powzun, Executive Director, Public Schools, Regional South and Connected Communities and Margaret Mulcahy, Director, Educational Leadership Connected Communities. They are pictured, below right, with our Executive Principal, Darren Monte.
Our special guest speaker 2016 Alumni Izaak Merlehan spoke about his journey since graduating from Gunnedah High.
AWARD WINNERS
MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
Year 11 Hospitality students, under the guidance of Miss Popple, crafted an impressive selection of delicious sweet treats, vibrant fruit platters, and savoury dips and biscuits.
Clontarf also took charge of the barbecue, providing a welcome break from the usual dinner cooking duties for many.
Rewards
Winners of the English, HSIE, Language, and Drama Golden Ticket Rewards Raffle!
At our final assembly for 2024, we celebrated the outstanding efforts of English, HSIE, Language, and Drama students who demonstrated Gunnedah High School’s core values of Respect, Responsibility, and Doing Your Best during their lessons this semester.
Students who exemplified our school’s core values during lessons were rewarded with a faculty token throughout the semester. Once students had five faculty tokens, they could trade them in for a Golden Ticket, which was entered into our Rewards Raffle.
The highlight of today’s assembly was the announcement of our lucky golden ticket winners. Each took home an amazing iPad and stylus—a prize that reflects our belief in empowering students with tools for learning and creativity. The runners-up all received a $20 movie voucher each.
Congratulations to our winners and to all students who earned Golden Tickets this term. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and we are so proud of how you continue living our school values!
Library News
In the Classroom
Far Out Science
Year 9 Science students recently travelled to the University of New England (UNE), Armidale to participate in a series of hands-on workshops. They tackled experimental challenges and experienced firsthand what happens in real university science laboratories, working alongside scientists at the forefront of research and education.
During the day, students:
- Solved a chemistry escape room,
- Explored various cattle types in rural science,
- Made and tasted butter using food science, enjoying it with pancakes,
- Tested their physical responses in a sports science reaction and forces challenge, and
- Used neuroscience to analyze their drawing abilities.
Year 11 Primary Industries
Year 11 students have been hard at work during their work placement at Gunnedah High School’s farm. As part of the Primary Industries course, students are required to complete workplace learning, which allows them to develop valuable hands-on skills and work towards achieving industry competencies.
During their placement, students completed tasks such as tractor operations, fencing, and cattle work. Their efforts have contributed to improvements in farm safety and productivity, benefitting students studying both Primary Industries and Agriculture.
– Mrs McInerney
Year 9 students have been exploring the Electromagnetic Spectrum in Science this term. They have enjoyed applying their theoretical knowledge through a variety of hands-on experiments and investigations, including:
- Performing an eye dissection,
- Using tonic water to test the effectiveness of materials as UV protectants, and
- Conducting flame tests to identify metal ions in solutions.
To wrap up the term, students put their scientific inquiry skills to the test in a “whodunit”-style mystery investigation, working to solve the case of which Science staff member stole the chocolates.
– Mrs McInerney
During Term 4, Year 7 students explored the topics of Forces and Astronomy, using a mix of scientific equipment and everyday household items to investigate the forces that impact our daily lives.
A highlight was studying magnetic fields through a series of engaging experiments, including:
- Creating an electromagnet,
- Visualizing magnetic fields, and
- Testing how different materials affect a magnetic field with activities like the ‘floating’ paperclip.
Students also ventured outside the classroom to explore friction through the traditional process of wii wiimaa-li (making fire). They worked hard to create wii (fire), with many successfully producing dhuu (smoke). This activity fostered teamwork and gave students a deep appreciation for the skill and ingenuity of First Nations people in creating fire using traditional methods.
– Mrs McInerney
Cool Classrooms
Year 7 maths students have been studying data and graphing during Term 4. As part of the project, students took on the role of ice cream inventors, coming up with new flavours. They surveyed their peers in other classrooms to collect data and determine the most popular new flavour. Using spreadsheets, they entered the data and used the graphing feature to display it in various graph types. As a reward for their hard work, students enjoyed a sweet treat to cool down by eating an ice cream of their own creation.
– Mrs McInerney
Year 7 Textiles students with their finished bags
Year 8 Textiles students created colourful, patterned bags
Fishing for sport has been extremely successful this term, with a number of students achieving some excellent totals! From multiple dropped fish, a flat tyre, snagged lines, and the occasional student getting their hook stuck on the bank, everyone has had a blast at Cushan’s Reserve.
- Week 1 Jack F ( 1 ) Erin M ( 2* ) Mr Moore ( 2* ) Chelsea B ( 1 ) *shared catch
- Week 2 Jedd W ( 4 ) Jack F ( 2 ) Thor G ( 1 ) Mr Moore ( 1 ) Erin M ( 1 )
- Week 3 Jedd W ( 2 ) Erin M ( 3 )
- Week 4 Mr Moore ( 2 )
- Week 5 Brodie ( 1 )
- Week 6 Thor G ( 2 )
- Week 7 Brodie ( 2 ) Dustin L ( 1 ) Jedd W ( 1 ) Thor G ( 1 )
- Week 8 Riley S ( 1 )
- Week 9 Jedd W ( 1 ) Jack F ( 1 )
- Week 10 Jedd W ( 1 giant inflatable swan )
This leads to a grand total of 32 fish total at the end of the term. The most fish goes to Jedd W with eight fish caught, and the largest fish goes to Thor G.
A massive thank you to Brodie for being our bus driver each week, and to all the students who gave it a go each week!
– Mr Moore
Four Year 9 and 10 girls recently spent a day at Many Fabrication and Engineering, where they made a firepit and learned valuable metal fabrication and welding skills. A big thank you to the team at Many Fabrication for hosting our students! They were thrilled to take their firepits home as a special memento of the experience.
Want to chat about careers?
Parents: Call Mr Mason on 0403 705 944 or email robert.mason18@det.nsw.edu.au
Students: See Maso in the Careers room, email, or leave a note at the front office.
Excursions
An unforgettable theatre experience!
⭐️ WE WERE IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED! ⭐️
On the last day of school, Miss Hyde and Mr. Wharton led a group of students on an unforgettable trip to Sydney to see the musical Hamilton! Experiencing live theatre was incredible, and meeting the actor who played George Washington after the show was the icing on the cake.
A huge thank you to Macphersons Coaches Tamworth for getting us there and back safely!
Action-packed adventure at Great Aussie Bush Camp!
This term, Year 7 students enjoyed three exciting days at the Great Aussie Bush Camp during their annual excursion! They participated in a variety of thrilling activities, including the giant swing, canoeing, high ropes, archery, and team challenges. They also had the opportunity to make damper and learn bushcraft skills. Overall, it was a wonderful and action-packed experience!
Rewards
Year 7 Rewards Excursion
Last Friday, eligible Year 7 students had an amazing day out in Tamworth for the Term 4 Rewards excursion! 🚌 We started the day exploring the Marsupial Park, enjoyed nuggets and chips for lunch at Bicentennial Park, and wrapped it up with a couple of exciting games of bowling! 🎳
– Miss Ewans
Year 9 Rewards Excursion
Our Year 9 students enjoyed a well-deserved rewards excursion on Tuesday. The day started with a walk to the cinemas, where they relaxed in air-conditioned comfort and watched Red One. After the movie, they tucked into a delicious Pizza Hut lunch, followed by an afternoon of table tennis and great music. Congratulations to all Year 9 students who attended—you’ve earned it! 👏
P&C News
On behalf of the Gunnedah High School P&C, we would like to wish all families, staff, and community members a very Merry Christmas and a relaxing holiday season. May this festive time be filled with joy, peace, and special moments with loved ones. We look forward to another great year ahead!
Community
We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the Kamilaroi lands where we work and learn. We also acknowledge our Elders past, present and emerging.