Welcome to yet another exciting school year at Redlynch State College! It is hard to believe that we are already in week 5 of the term and before we know it, the Easter holidays will be knocking on the door. The year started well, and whilst it was a bit wet, students were excited to be back at school.  We started the school year with 1814 students and at the time of writing, we have 1811 enrolments – 619 students on the primary campus and 1192 on the secondary campus. I expect that our numbers will increase slowly during the year.

I would like to warmly welcome Ms. Dale Archibald – Head of Campus – Primary to the College. Dale brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge, which, together with her strong sense of purpose and relentless focus on improving student achievement, makes her the perfect fit at Redlynch State College. I hope that many of you have had the opportunity to meet Dale and know that she is looking forward to collaborating with teachers, parents and the students to continue the already excellent work on the primary campus.

Mr. Hooper is Acting Head of Campus on the Secondary Campus this year – pending a number of selection processes in other schools. I would like to, once again, thank Mr. Hooper for his willingness to step up to the challenge. We currently have a number of vacancies on the Secondary campus that we are recruiting for and I will inform you on progress of this in the next newsletter.

How fantastic was it to finally use the new Multi-Purpose Hall at the beginning of the year. The first major event – the Student Leadership Induction Ceremony was a fitting event to showcase this fantastic new resource for Redlynch State College students, staff, parents and the community.  Congratulations to all the student leaders recognised at this event. I would particularly like to recognise our College Captains Ruby Szczepanski, Mitchell Fulwood, Zoe Ibbett and Ari Kohn.  Once again, our college is being served by outstanding young leaders. I look forward to working with these students and other student leaders on how we continue to improve our college culture.

School photos are fast approaching with the team from MSP Photography here in week 8.  Secondary photos will be on the Monday 17 March and Primary on the Tuesday & Wednesday 18/19 March. Please ensure that your children are in correct uniform for their photo. Uniforms can be purchased at the P&C shop located on the Primary Campus.

NAPLAN testing starts in week 7 this term. Whilst it is not the be all and end all of student performance testing, it is an important point in time measure for schools to have to help inform how our students are going academically. It is important that students turn up on their testing days on time and give their best effort. If you have any concerns regarding the upcoming NAPLAN testing, please contact your child’s teacher.

This year we launched the new Redlynch State College Netball Academy. Students participating in this excellence program will train before and after school and will have the opportunity to represent the college in upcoming tournaments. Mr. Lynton McKay, a highly experienced and well-respected netball player is the lead teacher for the Academy. I look forward to celebrating their success during the year. We are currently looking at launching the Academy on the Primary Campus later this year.

The P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM) is on Tuesday 18 March at 6:00pm. This is a great opportunity for any parents and community members to find out more about how they can help and support the college. Our Redlynch State College Parents and Citizens Association has a strong and proud history of representing the views of parents and community and has helped shape the College as we know it today. I am grateful for the ongoing support the P&C gives the college and look forward to continuing our partnership into the future.  I will hopefully see some of you there at the AGM.

A/Head of Campus - Adrian Hooper

Welcome to the 2025 school year. We’ve have had a great start to the academic year that for teaching staff commenced a week earlier than for students.

Learning in our Valley.  Thinking Beyond the Hills.

On our student free days in January, Secondary teaching staff were in engaged in sessions addressing the four priorities of our RSC Annual Implementation Plan; Leading curriculum implementation, differentiating teaching and learning, strengthening the building of our expert teaching team, and the implementation of effective pedagogical practices. I thank the Secondary staff for their engagement as we embrace our culture of continuous improvement and strive to raise educational outcomes for the students of our college.

Administration Roles 2025

2025 will see the Secondary Administration team continue in the roles established midway through 2024. 

Ms. Sharyn Crookes is Deputy Principal of Year 7 and 8. Working in her team this year is Ms. Tara O’Brien, Head of Student Support and Wellbeing for Year 7 and 8, Year 7 Dean of Students, Mr. Nick Buttenshaw and Year 8 Dean of Students, Ms. Alex Macri.

Ms. Ashleigh Batterham is continuing as acting Deputy Principal of Year 9 and 10. Working with her is Ms. Nicole Neill, Head of Student Support and Wellbeing for Year 9 and 10, as well as Year 9 Dean of Students, Ms. Kylie Child and Year 10 Dean of Students, Ms. Sam Parkinson.

Finally, commencing this week we welcome back to the Administration team Mr. Greg Bayldon as acting Deputy Principal of Year 11 and 12. Assisting Mr Bayldon will be Head of Senior Schooling and Pathways, Mr. Matt Crosby, and continuing with their cohorts from last year, Year 11 Dean of Students, Mr. Lynton McKay and Year 12 Dean of Students, Ms. Cassie Roads.

I am again acting Head of the Secondary campus while Mr. Andrejic is acting Principal at Woree SHS.  Prior to Mr. Greg Bayldon being appointed behind me as the acting Deputy Principal of Year 11 and 12, I would like to thank Ms. Joy Murgatroyd, Deputy Principal of Teaching and Learning who was also overseeing the Year 11 and 12s for the first five weeks of the school year. While Mr. Bayldon is acting up, Ms. Cassie Roads will take on the acting Head of Department Humanities role while maintaining her Year 12 Dean role.

Bus Etiquette

Parents of students travelling on the morning & afternoon 190 bus to school may have already received a letter from the bus company Kinetic concerning behaviour on the school buses. I would appreciate the support of Parents of students catching this bus if they could have a conversation with their children to remind them of appropriate etiquette & behaviour on school buses.

As you would know the bus company have a right to enforce temporary bans for students engaged in unacceptable behaviour and we hope this can be addressed before it requires this level of intervention.

Expectations of the Senior School

Speaking of the Senior School (of which Ms. Murgatroyd will provided an update further on in our newsletter) it would be remiss of me not to mention this exciting time for both Year 11 and 12 students. Year 11 students have just commenced their post-compulsory Senior Phase of Learning and Year 12s, their last year of high school. It is timely that we remind all Year 11 and 12 students of the expectations of the Senior School:

Actively participate in the academic program;

Attend school between 8:45am and 2:55pm daily as per your timetable and maintain an attendance rate of at least 90%;

Have less than 10% unacceptable/unexplained reasons for lateness to school;

Attend all timetabled lessons, unless absent due to a medical or other reasonable circumstance verified by parent/carer;

Have no incidents of truancy;

Comply with the Redlynch State College Student Code of Conduct;

Complete required course work and assessment for each subject;

Submit all drafts and assessment items by the required due dates;

Attend all scheduled exams;

If relevant, attend all work placement requirements according to your timetable.

Can I also remind parents of Year 11 and 12 students that those students driving private vehicles to school need to both complete the Students Driving to School form and to ensure they are parking in the top carpark designated for student parking. This aids the free flow of traffic in the afternoons and ensures that there are plenty of carparks out the front for parents collecting students in the afternoon.

Shortly, Year 11 and 12 students not participating in CISSA sport who have both registered with the QCAA My QCE student portal, completed their Academic Integrity Course (AIC) and returned a parental signed pink Form B will be permitted to flex-off on P4 Wednesday afternoons.  In the meantime, non-CISSA students are to attend Wednesday P4 tutorial classes while we encourage them to complete the requirements and return the form. We will inform parents and students when P4 Wednesday flex-off will commence.

Enjoy the following updates from the Secondary DPs.  I look forward to working with all parents of Secondary students this year.

DP Senior Schooling & Teaching & Learning – Joy Murgatroyd

Welcome to 2025 and thank you all for ensuring your child has commenced the year with the correct uniform and tools for learning. I have been visiting Year 11 classrooms over the last two weeks to check that students have a laptop and are using them. A laptop is a vital piece of equipment for students and most subjects are using them to complete assessment. If your family is experiencing difficulties in supplying a laptop, please contact me to see what support we can arrange.

 Whilst the Year 11s are about to head into assessment time, the Year 12s are currently finishing their assessment for each subject – check in with them and see how they are travelling. All students have been sent their assessment calendars and parents have access via QParents.

Subject changes

All applications for subject changes have now been finalised for Years 11 and 12. Year 11 students will have the opportunity to reflect upon their subject choices once Unit 1 is completed. We will advise students of the process they need to undertake if they plan on making a request for a change at that time.

Senior Induction

Our Student Leader Induction ceremony was held on Tuesday 11 February. All our elected student leaders and year 12 students received their badges for 2025 and our Year 11 and 12 students are to be congratulated on how they conducted themselves.  Holding the ceremony in the new Multipurpose Hall was a success and we look forward to future events being held there.

NAPLAN

Our Year 7 and 9 students will be undertaking NAPLAN from Wednesday 12 March (Week 7).  Students who sit NAPLAN undertake 4 tests which will be held during scheduled lesson time and I will be emailing the test schedule to parents by the end of the week.  Students will need to bring their laptop and headphones to the test lessons as NAPLAN is administered online for Years 7 and 9.  If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please email me.

Just a reminder - I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Year 11 & 12 for the last several weeks but will hand over to Mr. Greg Bayldon.

Any concerns that parents have, your first port of call should be the Year Level Dean:

Mr Lynton McKay             (Year 11)              lmcka57@eq.edu.au

Ms Cassie Roads               (Year 12)              cjroa0@eq.edu.au

DP Middle Secondary (9/10) - Ashleigh Batterham

Helmets

It has been great to see so many students choosing to travel to and from school using their bike, e-bike or e-scooter. However, there has been an increase in the number of students not wearing their helmets correctly, or not wearing a helmet at all.

In Queensland, it’s a legal requirement to wear a helmet when riding a bike, an e-bike or an e-scooter. This rule applies to all riders, regardless of age, on both public roads and paths. Helmets are designed to protect your head from serious injury in the event of an accident. No matter your skill, accidents can happen to anyone. The stop, drop, go areas can get very crowded with cars and pedestrians, which puts riders at more risk. Please ensure your child has a helmet when travelling via bike, e-bike or e-scooter and that they know how to correctly wear it. Failing to wear a helmet can also result in a fine.

How to wear a helmet:

Helmets must sit on the top of your head; not hanging off the handlebars, hanging off your wrist, in your bag or forgotten at home.

Helmets also need to be clipped up tightly; not loosely done up or unclipped completely.

Note: Students are not legally required to wear a helmet when using human-powered scooters, however it is still a good idea.

For more questions about the legal requirements, visit:

Bike Safety: https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-devices/bicycle

Scooter Safety:  https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/wheeled-devices/skateboards

Any concerns that parents have, your first port of call should be the Year Level Dean:

Ms Kylie Child                    (Year 9)                kchil17@eq.edu.au

Ms Sam Parkinson           (Year 10)              smpar2@eq.edu.au

DP - Junior Secondary (7/8) - Sharyn Crookes

As Deputy Principal of both Year 7 and 8 this year, I am very pleased to say that we have had a fantastic start to the year. Along with Ms. Tara O’Brien (Head of Student Support & Wellbeing), Mr. Nick Buttenshaw (Dean of Year 7) and Ms. Alex Macri (Dean of Year 8) we welcome all students in the Junior School and hope you have a great year.

It is wonderful to know both year levels, having interviewed all of the incoming 7’s as well as working with our year 8’s when they were new to high school last year.

What’s happening?

CAMP

This year with the 7’s we are trialling holding the camp earlier and we head off to Tully in Week 8 March 19 – 21. Students who do not attend camp will have modified curriculum lessons at school during this time.

NAPLAN

Over 4 days during week 7 & 8, the Year 7’s will sit the annual NAPLAN tests. Please contact the school if you require information regarding withdrawal.

TRANSITION Year 6 to 7 2026

It’s that time of year when we begin our visits to our feeder primary schools and hold our parent information night and school tour.  Watch this space for advertised dates soon.

REMINDERS

Our biggest reminder for all students:

Be prepared for learning each day – charged laptop, books, calculator and pens

Wear the correct uniform

Be kind in your words and actions at all times

Any concerns that parents have, your first port of call should be the Year Level Dean:

Mr Nick Buttenshaw       (Year 7)                nbutt32@eq.edu.au

Ms Alex Macri                    (Year 8)                 ajose88@eq.edu.au

Have a great term 1!

The Secondary Campus Leadership Team

Welcome back to our returning families, and a warm welcome to our new Prep students and families joining us this year! 2025 promises to be a busy and productive year for the Business Administration team at Redlynch State College as we focus on refining and streamlining our business functions to support the school community effectively.

2025 Finances at a Glance

I’m pleased to share that the 2025 school budget has been finalised. This year, the College anticipates $4.12 million in revenue, which has been strategically allocated in line with our Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan. Our key priorities remain enhancing student learning outcomes, investing in high-quality teaching and support staff, and ensuring that our facilities and learning resources meet the highest standards.

2025 Student Resource and Subject Fees

Invoices for student resource and subject fees have been issued for 2025—please check your emails. These invoices, along with account details, can also be accessed via the QParents app. To ensure your child has access to all necessary learning resources, please make payment by the due date.

Our Student Resource Scheme (SRS) offers an affordable way for students to access high-quality educational resources. Full details can be found on our school website.

For families opting not to participate in the SRS, please note:

• A Participation Agreement Form (PAF) must be completed to opt in or out of the scheme. This can be accessed via QParents or our website.
• Parents/carers who choose not to participate are responsible for sourcing and supplying all required resources to ensure their child’s full engagement with the curriculum.

Student Media Consent – Now Digital!

We are excited to transition to a digital Student Media Consent form, replacing the previous paper-based version. This will be available via the QParents app, and parents/carers will receive a notification once it’s active. This digital format allows families to update and manage consent levels at any time, ensuring student privacy preferences are always met.

Accessing Policies & Key Documents

To make information easily accessible, all school policies, forms, and key documents are available on the Redlynch State College website.

We value your feedback! If you have any suggestions on how we can improve, please reach out. You can contact me directly for a discussion or email your thoughts to admin@redlynchsc.eq.edu.au. Your input is invaluable as we continue to enhance our services and support for the College community.

In Week 2, we conducted trials for the inaugural Redlynch State College Netball Academy. With our school’s proud history of netball success and a strong group of enthusiastic players, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support these students as we continue to develop our sporting culture through this wonderful sport.

The turnout for the trials was incredible! It was heart-warming to see so many students eager to participate, with over 70 students trialling for spots in both the 7-9 and 10-12 academy squads. I was fortunate enough to have the assistance of several teachers, parents, and even a former student from our community, who helped with selections and umpiring. Without our community these exciting opportunities would not be possible, so thank you! The students demonstrated exceptional heart, passion, and sportsmanship, making it a challenging task for the selectors and me to finalise the 20 positions for each squad.

Training commenced the following week. The 7-9 squad trains after school on Mondays, while the 10-12 squad practices early on Wednesday mornings. In these initial sessions, the students have focused on footwork, passing, drives, and timing. I’ve already noticed growth and improvement in their skills, but most importantly, they seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves while staying active

RSC VAP student Auraura attends the National Summer Art Scholarship at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA)

At the end of last year (2024), I had the incredible opportunity to attend the National Summer Art Scholarship at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). This immersive program brought together 16 young artists from around Australia for a week of creativity, exploration and learning. I’d like to thank Mary Kendell (NGA Tim Fairfax Programs Convenor, Young People), as without her this program wouldn’t work and Tim Fairfax AC, the philanthropist who funded the program.

I was able to work closely with amazing professional artists such as Billy Bain, Jazz Money and Lindy Lee, curators and other like-minded young people. This has helped to widen my understanding of the many career paths available within the Visual Arts and who I am as an emerging artist.

In the week-long residential program, I participated in hands-on workshops with established artists, received valuable insights including exclusive tours into the archives and behind the scenes of The National Gallery of Australia. It was truly a life-changing experience as I was pushed out of my comfort zone as an artist and came out with a new found confidence that I didn't even know I had. That confidence is now fueling my passion to continue creating.

 I’d like to thank Mrs. Webber my Visual Art teacher, who motivated me to apply for this scholarship. I’m proud to have been one of two students selected from Qld to participate and I highly encourage other RACE Visual Art/Visual Art students to apply for any scholarships on offer in the future.

Performing Arts

A Term of Creativity & Excellence

As Term 1 progresses, the Performing Arts faculty at Redlynch State College is alive with energy, creativity, and exciting new opportunities. Our students have been working hard across music, dance, and drama, showcasing their talents and dedication.

Choir Takes Flight

Instrumental Music & Ensembles

Our instrumental students have been refining their skills in lessons and ensemble rehearsals. Developing strong practice habits is key to progress, and our musicians are learning that consistency and perseverance lead to great achievements. With a variety of ensembles, including concert band, string orchestra, and jazz group, there’s a place for everyone to grow and shine.

SAVE THE DATE - RACE Showcase 2025 Saturday 11th October 2025

Drama and Dance in Action

Drama and dance students have been exploring exciting new pieces, preparing for performances that are sure to impress. Their creativity and teamwork continue to shine as they develop skills in storytelling, movement, and stagecraft. Every step, every line, and every routine practiced brings them closer to mastery.

Spotlight on Live Production & RACE Music

A huge shoutout to our Live Production Crew and RACE Music students for their outstanding support of the College Induction Ceremony. From expert staging, lighting and sound engineering to an electrifying live performance of The Final Countdown, their hard work made the event truly memorable. It’s incredible to see our students applying their skills in real-world settings, gaining hands-on experience and confidence in their craft.

Get Involved

If you're interested in joining a performing arts group or would like more information, please contact Robert Crookes, Head of Department, Performing Arts, at rcroo5@eq.edu.au

Robert Crookes - HOD Performing Arts

Student Resource Scheme 

Bus Service - View bus routes and learn about STAS

 https://redlynchsc.eq.edu.au/ourenrolments/EnrollingAtOurSchool/Documents/KINETIC-Bus-Information-Copy.pdf