Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As we reach the midpoint of Term 3, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in helping our students succeed both in and outside the classroom.

 

We kindly ask for your continued support at home in discussing a few important matters with your student to ensure a safe, respectful, and productive school environment for all.

 

Please remind your student about the appropriate and respectful use of school bathroom facilities. These shared spaces must be treated responsibly to ensure they remain clean and accessible for everyone.

 

We are seeing an increase in students commuting using e-bikes and e-scooters. While we support sustainable transport options, it is essential that students follow all safety requirements and legal expectations when using these vehicles. Parents, we ask that you have a conversation with your student about:

You can find detailed information on the Queensland Government's e-mobility rules here: https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-devices/personal-mobility-devices

 

With the second half of Term 3 underway, we encourage all students to remain focused on their learning and to aim for their personal best in every class. We are entering a crucial time, particularly for our Year 9 and 10 students, as they prepare for subject selections that will shape their pathways into senior schooling in 2026.

 

Our dedicated staff are supporting students through this transition with information sessions, guidance, and individual support. Your involvement as parents in these conversations at home is also invaluable as students make informed choices about their future.

I am incredibly proud of the way our students continue to represent Benowa SHS across a wide range of extracurricular areas. Recently, our sporting and performing arts students have showcased exceptional talent, teamwork, and pride in our school.

 

Our Volleyball and Touch Football teams have competed with heart and skill across multiple competitions, well done to all involved. 

In the arts, Benowa students are shining at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod across vocals and music, demonstrating not only talent but also dedication and passion. So far we've had the following successes with more events still to come!

A special mention must go to our senior theatre students whose performance in Blackrock was a true highlight of the term. Their commitment to tackling complex themes with maturity and professionalism was outstanding. We also wish these students the very best of luck as they head into Dramafest next Friday night, we know you will make Benowa proud!

 

All of these opportunities would not be possible without the dedication of our hardworking staff. We are deeply grateful to our teachers and support staff who consistently give up their time, including time with their own families, to provide these rich learning and performance opportunities for our students. Their passion, commitment, and care are at the heart of what makes Benowa such a vibrant and supportive school community.

 

Thank you once again for your ongoing support. Together, we can continue to build a strong, supportive, and aspirational community for our students.

As we reach the halfway point of Term 3, it's a wonderful time to reflect on the fantastic start of Semester 2 here at Benowa State High School. The willingness and approaches to learning across the Year 7 cohort has been positive and purposeful, with students embracing new learning opportunities, showing strong commitment to their studies, and actively contributing to our school community.

 

We are incredibly proud to share some impressive academic achievements from Semester 1. In English, 74.9% of students achieved an A or B, and a remarkable 96% received an A to C. In Mathematics, 64% of students earned an A or B, and 90% achieved an A to C. These results are a testament to the hard work of our students and the dedication of our staff who continue to support excellence in learning.

 

Our recent Celebration Assembly was another highlight of the term, with over 80 students recognised for their achievements. Awards were presented for academic excellence, 100% attendance, leadership, and for upholding our school values of respect, diligence, compassion, and integrity. It was truly inspiring to see so many students representing Benowa in such a positive and proud way. It was great to see so many parents and members of the community attend these awards to really build on our students’ sense of belonging here at our school. Congratulations to all of our award recipients!

 

On a personal note, I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to support our Year 7 cohort over the past five weeks. It has been a privilege to witness their attitude, resilience, and enthusiasm as they continue to settle into high school life. I would also like to welcome back Mr Anthony Larkin, who has now resumed his role leading the Year 7s. I know he is excited to reconnect with the cohort and continue the wonderful work already underway.

 

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to confirm that our Year 7 Camp will be going ahead in Week 10 of Term 4, from Monday 8 December to Wednesday 10 December, at PGL Adventure Camp – Kindilan in Redland Bay. With 120 students attending, we’re looking forward to an action-packed few days filled with teamwork, adventure, and unforgettable memories.

 

Thank you to all students, families, and staff for contributing to such a successful start to the semester. We look forward to the exciting weeks ahead as we continue to learn, grow, and achieve together.

 

Adrian Hays

Congratulations to our Year 9 cohort on their fantastic outcomes in Semester 1. Whilst our celebration assembly acknowledges students for their academic success, high levels of attendance and global competence, I would like to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of the entire cohort. Throughout the semester we spoke weekly about the importance of attendance and the strong relationship to achievement. At the end of Semester1 the Year 9 cohort had the second highest attendance in the region and this was reflected in outstanding academic achievements. Significant improvement in English and Maths were noted, particularly students achieving an A or B result which far exceeded departmental expectations of 50%.

 

This semester the focus for Year 9 students does not change. It cannot be understated the importance of attendance all day, every day and achievement. Achievement may be reflected in growth of academic achievement, but also growth in personal and social capabilities.  Achieving the skills to participate in school, in the broader community and become life long learners is critical to delivery many pathways ~ no limits for every student.

 

Year 9 families will receive information in the next few weeks, regarding work experience available in Term 4. Work experience aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore various industries and connect their education to real-world experiences, fostering motivation and informing their decisions about their future pathways. Keep an eye out for this email.

 

Glenn Chippendale

There has been so much happening in the area of Science! 

 

The Year 5 Science Club at Benowa High, explored the fascinating topic of light and how we see. Students investigated how light travels and how our eyes process it to help us understand the world around us.

 

To deepen their learning, they examined the structure of the human eye and how it functions. The highlight of the session was a hands-on eye dissection, where students were able to observe parts of the eye up close — including the cornea, lens, and optic nerve.

 

The students were joined by Benowa SHS STEM Ambassadors, who worked alongside them and supported their learning throughout the activity. Their involvement helped create a collaborative and engaging environment for all.

We were honoured to host Central Queensland University's (CQU) Annual Aviation Roadshow. Dr Steve Leib, Head of Course for Aviation at CQU, ran our sessions with our 28 Year 11 Aerospace students. CQU provided 3 professional flight simulators for the day which our students were so excited using and learning what it takes to operate a light aircraft (both on the ground and in flight!).

 

The flight simulation experience wasn’t just a fun activity… by completing the CQU activity and our Aerospace Systems course in Year 11 and Year 12 the students will qualify for a Full Unit credit at CQU Aviation. This is worth upward of $2500 off their aviation studies after school should they choose this pathway!  Outstanding opportunities available for Benowa students once again! 

 

Dr Leib remarked to our students at the end of the experience how our students are by far the most knowledgeable and engaged students they’ve encountered in Queensland! Go Redbacks indeed!  Great job aerospace gurus! 

We had the privilege of hosting AVISTA (ROSE'S Virtual and In-person STEM Awareness Program), supported by the Dept of Defence and various massive multinational organisations. AROSE 'Australia's Remote Operations for Space and Earth.

 

We had over 250 students attend across 2 presentations. Our entire STEM program in Year 7 to 9 as well as our Year 10 and Year 11 Aerospace students also attended. 

 

Our presenter, Gabrielle, was excellent. She took students through the Bernoulli Principle, propulsion types, AI in automated systems, and school subject pathways and career pathways. So much engagement and passion was witnessed amongst our amazing students.  We can't wait to have them back next year!!

 

This week in our Aerospace class we had none other than the Australian Space Agency (ASA) call into our classroom via MSTeams to discuss with our students both current and future opportunities and careers in space here in Australia!  We were among the very first schools that the Space Agency has engaged with in this capacity – so we are incredibly thrilled to have hosted them! Students were engaged and even gave up their lunchtime to attend this session.

 

This week there has been so much happening! We've had Kahoot quizzes, gene bracelet building, DNA necklaces and a fast paced code breaker challenge between Care classes this morning!! Congratulations to 11B for winning the challenge - what time does the pizza arrive? 

This Term has seen a lot of volleyball played both on the court and on the beach.

 

11 students competed in the Volleyball Queensland Senior Schools Cup, playing in the Open Girls Honours division. This division is the highest division in school volleyball, and typically teams consist mostly of seniors (year 11’s and 12’s). Our young team – two grade 12 students, four grade 11 students, four grade 10 students and a grade 9 student, played excellent volleyball beyond their years. The girls made it all the way to the gold medal match, falling short in the 5th set against Craigslea SHS.

At the beginning of August we had several teams compete at the Queensland Beach Volleyball Schools Cup at Coolangatta. After two days of very windy weather, Yumiki Wilson and Michinari Sato won GOLD in the Year 8 Boys Division 1. Several other teams made finals and all teams played excellent volleyball in some very tough conditions. 

 

We had our annual Touch Football Camp, where we took 87 students (7 teams) to the Sunshine Coast for a training camp, team building and tournament. This is all preparation for our 5 day tournament in Term 4.

To have three teams in the finals, is a great achievement! 

 

Big thanks to Brendan Luchetti, Brooke Eacott, Andy Kelly and Jordan Lowe for giving up their weekend for our Redbacks (and all the before school training sessions). And big shout out to Teagan Phillips who organised the camp, it’s a big undertaking (this was the biggest number of teams we have ever taken for touch) and we greatly appreciate all the work she did to ensure our Redbacks have these amazing opportunities.

Leading action is our school values of respect and compassion the men of our Junior Secondary year levels teams have joined together to become polished men. For the month of October, Glenn Chippendale, Jordan Lowe, Ryan Robinson, Anthony Larkin and Paul Clare will paint a nail, or all their nails, as they raise funds for the Polished Man initiative.

 

The Polished Man is a powerful national movement rallying Australians to take a visible stand against violence towards women and children. The funds raised by these men will support, local changemakers delivering frontline, community-led solutions designed to prevent violence before it starts.

 

If you'd like to donate to the Benowa SHS Team - you can do so here: https://polishedman.com/b-shs-team

The start of August saw Benowa Redbacks begin their month long involvement at the Gold Coast Eisteddfod, where our instrumentalists, dancers and singers will be showcasing the efforts from their hard work.

 

And so far they've just been smashing it!! We are so proud of all our Redbacks that practice at home, rehearse at school and then perform to be judged - no matter the outcome!

 

Congratulations to:

Still to come:

Our next business breakfast is scheduled for 12 September and we'd love if you came along. We will again be at the Southport Golf club for a fresh start to the morning where you can share ideas, make connections and have a great breakfast! We start at 6.30am and our guest speakers include 

Get in early and when you buy a ticket you can get a second one at half price! Don't forget your business card as the door prizes are always fabulous!  

Summer Sports! It's that time where all of our local clubs begin their summer sport events and sign ons. Additionally the Queensland government has a new sports voucher system available to parents that is really helpful! You can find out more here:  Play On! 

Below are a few options for your to check out! 

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors