At Whites Hill we recognise students who have excelled academically, as well as students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to reaching their potential through the level of effort and behaviour they have demonstrated.  EVERY student at Whites Hill State College has the capacity to   achieve EXCELLENCE in effort and behaviour.  This capacity is established through mindset.  Mindset can be defined as the habitual mental attitudes we have to situations.  For example, if students address the challenges that each day presents with a ‘this is too hard’, or ‘what is the point’ attitude, then they are less likely to see the multiple growth opportunities that are available to them.   Effort and behaviour are undeniably linked.  However, they ultimately come down to the concept of RESPECT. Respect for self, and the idea that we can achieve when we are willing to commit to the highs and lows of a journey of discovery and improvement; and respect for others, we all have the right to undertake our day in an environment where we feel safe and supported. 

It is important for all of our learners to understand that learning new things and any type of skill development can be hard work and is likely to be challenging.  Fortunately for our young people they don’t remember the process of learning to walk.  If they did remember it, they would describe it as challenging, frustrating, and a process in which they often needed support.  This is the same as learning anything as a child, adolescent or adult.  Creating new connections in our brain takes time, and it is important to acknowledge that at some point every individual needs to ask for support and can find things challenging.  Hard and challenging is good!  When the human brain recognises activities as challenging, new connections are being formed, and this is how the process of human development occurs.  Acknowledging that learning and life have inherent challenges is a resilience building opportunity.  Unfortunately, many communication platforms in our modern world advertise the end result, or the elements that they want us to see.  What is missing is the hard work, sacrifice, disappointment, and time that it has taken to achieve this favourable outcome.  One of the best things we can do for our young people is to encourage them to embrace the difficulties that arise and support them to work through them.  When individuals work through a challenge, the positives of working through the pit can often outweigh the immediate relief of choosing not to tackle the challenge. 

Pathways Planning

In Term 3, Year 9 and 10 students and their parents will engage in conversations with school staff regarding senior pathway planning.  Year 9 and 10 students have completed a significant amount of planning and research leading into these conversations, and we look forward to hearing about the varied number of pathways they have planned for their futures.   For families interested in starting the career planning journey with their young people through rich discussion the Myfuture website is an excellent resource. 

Parentline: Support and advice for all Queensland parents and carers

Being a parent can be rewarding—but it can also be challenging. Whether you’re trying to support your child with school issues, friendship challenges, behaviour, or tough moments at home, it’s completely normal to feel unsure about what to do next.

Parentline is a free and confidential service available to all Queensland parents and carers. No problem is too big or too small—and reaching out early can make a real difference.

Parentline offers advice and support on a wide range of parenting topics, including:

• bullying and friendship issues
• parent–child relationships
• parenting strategies and behaviour management
• mental and emotional wellbeing—for both children and parents

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

Scholarship Opportunities for Year 12 Students

For students and families interested in learning what scholarship opportunities are available for students upon completion of year 12 the links below may be of interest.  Scholarships are available for a wide number of categories and reasons.  Scholarships are available for academic excellence, financial hardships, diversity, subject area interest and excellence, First Nations, and rural/remote places of residence.  Scholarships may help a young person pursue an opportunity, that they may not have considered.   

University of Queensland – Undergraduate Scholarships

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) – Undergraduate Scholarships

Griffith University – Scholarships and awards

University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) – Scholarships for Future Students

CQU University – Undergraduate Scholarships

Every Minute Counts

Student attendance will always be a focus at Whites Hill.  Attendance at school is a critical element of progressing learning.  Our attendance target at Whites Hill has intentionally been set high because our priority is student learning.  There is a significant body of research which highlights the strong connection between attendance at school and achievement.  An aspect of attendance is arriving to school on time, and ready for the beginning of the day.  The graphic below shows the impact of lateness on learning progress and the impact on student learning if they are late for the start of the school day.  Every minute late is a minute of learning lost. 

Take care, be kind to yourself and others. 

Samantha Hawkins
Head of School - Secondary