DBSHS Term 4
- Year 7, 11 and 12 return
- Year 8, 9 and 10 start
- Principal's Report
- 2024 School Return Dates Year 7, 11 & 12
- 2024 School Return Dates Year 8, 9 & 10
- Music Department News
- Senior Soiree
- STEM Fest 2023
- Senior Awards Night 2023
- Volleyball Development Program (VDP)
- Volleyball Development Program Excursions
- Volleyball Development Program Farewell 2023 Departing Squad
- Senior Flexible Learning Awards
- First Nations Graduation
- Cultural Unity Night
- Farewell to the Year 12's from Ms Crone and Mr Symons
- Junior Secondary Awards Night
- Important Links for 2024
Principal's Report
Another year of education is almost complete. As always, it is a surprise to find ourselves at the finish line.
2023 has seen a return to a somewhat more “normal” year of schooling in terms of being able to begin on time and remaining open for the year without the challenges of school closures or extended interruptions to learning. It has been very pleasing to plan and enact our strategic priorities with a more confidence after challenging periods of time for our communities.
The year has been highly successful in many ways, with very strong academic results, excellent School Review feedback and outstanding School Opinion Survey outcomes have all been achieved. There has also been some significant challenges and I am very proud of the way the school community has rallied together during the tougher times. This is clear evidence of the resilience and sense of belonging that I see every day at our school.
Belonging was again on full display in Week 7, particularly so for our Year 12’s as they completed final activities and attended key events. The quality of these celebrations was amazing; Graduations, Cultural Unity Night and Year 12 Formal are all examples of the strength and commitment of Staff, Students, Parents and the community at Deception Bay SHS. It is one of my favourite times of the year as we celebrate the successes of our graduates. In 2023 this was a celebration of the highest order.
On assembly in week 8, I took the opportunity to discuss the opportunities taken and the example set by our graduating class, encouraging younger students to have a clear goal in mind for their own educational journey. The most important aspect for this is giving themselves choices when they finish school, to ensure they are prepared for a successful transition to post-school life.
I greatly appreciate the role that parents and caregivers play in this by working in partnership with the school. I am also incredibly proud of the commitment that my staff demonstrate daily in support of our students – together we achieve some thoroughly impressive outcomes.
As the school year comes to a close, we turn our attention to ensuring we have our planning and preparation in place for 2024. The key focus for our continued improvement journey will be around the main drivers of our purpose; enacting the intended curriculum through high-quality teaching. To compliment this, we will also focus on ensuring we differentiate the learning for our students and we track how we are progressing through meaningful data analysis.
I am very pleased to be able to confirm we will be fully staffed for 2024, including Teaching, Support and Administration roles. We will introduce new staff early in 2024 through the newsletter and Facebook and I look forward to the enthusiasm and skills these people will bring to DBSHS.
We also farewell a range of current staff as they move forward with their careers. My thanks to them all for their many contributions to DBSHS, for some across a significant period of time. On behalf of the school community, I wish them well as they progress into a new phase of their lives.
My thanks and sincere appreciation go to the many staff and community members who have contributed across 2023 to make it such a successful year. A special thanks to our P&C, a small group of dedicated people who add so much to our school.
I am proud of the achievements of our students. Not just the higher profile outcomes, I am also very aware of the smaller things that occur that help make this such a vibrant learning community. On behalf of the school, I wish everyone a safe, enjoyable and happy time with family and friends across the summer break.
2024 School Return Dates Year 7, 11 & 12
2024 School Return Dates Year 8, 9 & 10
Music Department News
Our Concert and combined Stage Band recently performed at the Peninsula Music Festival. Students performed exceptionally well at the non-competitive event. Feedback from the adjudicators was overwhelmingly positive and the ensembles were given a performance rating of High and Very High. Thank you to Mrs Ritter and Mr Hobbs for all your work with our students.
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Senior Soiree
In week 2, senior students from the Arts Department presented their final showcase for the year. Audiences were wowed with the Visual Arts in Practice student work that was displayed for the audience to appreciate as they entered the PA block. Performances from Junior Student Band, Certificate III Music, Certificate III Dance, extra-curricular Music groups, Drama in Practice and Senior Dance Troupe students were of a high standard and were great entertainment for the evening.
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STEM Fest 2023
On Thursday 20th of October DBSHS hosted the Moreton Bay STEM Fest Showcase Evening. It was wonderful to see the school Gym buzzing with students, families and teachers from the 5 schools involved. This evening was the culmination of our STEM Fest program, where we celebrated and recognised critical and creative thinking as demonstrated by the final projects produced by students in our region. In total 114 students participated with 31 teams registered in the STEM Fest Showcase competition. Congratulations to all our D'Bay teams, you did us very proud with the quality of your STEM Fest projects. A special congratulations to the following D'Bay teams: 1st Place - DBSHS 7B team; 2nd Place - DBSHS 9A team and DBSHS 10B team. A big thankyou to QUT for being the major sponsor for Moreton Bay STEM Fest.
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Senior Awards Night 2023
On Wednesday 18th October we held our Senior Awards Night. What a night to remember! The support and enthusiasm shown by our students, staff, special guests, families and community truly made this evening an unforgettable celebration of achievements and perseverance. Student commitment to excellence inspired all in atendance on the night. A special thank you goes out to our dedicated teachers, support staff and cleaners whose efforts made this event a resounding success.
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Volleyball Development Program (VDP)
Senior Awards Night:
The Senior VDP students had a massive year of Volleyball in 2023. Senior Awards Night allowed VDP to celebrate the achievements of the squad as well as acknowledge the 2023 VDP award winners.
Congratulations to the following award winners:
- VDP Senior Player of the Year: Panapa
- VDP Team of the Year: Intermediate Boys: Adam, Isaac, Cody, Luke, Brock, Izaiah, Zoram, Lincoln, Elisha and Brodie
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Volleyball Development Program Excursions
Anchor Fitness HQ: Term 4 provided students involved in VDP with the opportunity to change up their training and attend a CrossFit gym. Students gave their best effort whilst learning new skills such as handstand holds and were persistent during an extremely hard workout.
Beach Volleyball: To farewell our departing senior VDP squad and to celebrate another awesome year of VDP, students involved in the program spent the afternoon at Indoor Sports playing beach volleyball. Thank you to all students who attended and helped the squad celebrate another amazing year of Volleyball at Deception Bay SHS.
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Volleyball Development Program Farewell 2023 Departing Squad
2023 Departing Volleyball Development Squad: Mr Flanders and Miss Hall-Stocker would like to acknowledge the 2023 departing VDP squad. Thank you for your ability to take and act on feedback, your willingness to help the junior students of the program and your commitment to your team. We wish you all the best.
2023 Departing VDP Squad: Shainee, Joseph, Latu, Kamisi, Panapa, Shekinah, Tylah, Tessa, Tamati, Gabe, Solace, Delvarn, Ciara, Adriannah, De'Ja, Brandon, Frida, Sudanie, Kobi, Taiese, Micah, Sierra and Lenniece.
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Senior Flexible Learning Awards
DBSHS were excited to host our Senior Flexible Learning awards ceremony. The ceremony saw many families and teachers of Senior Flexible Learning students attend to show their support of the hard work and achievements of students within the program. With an array of subject, attendance and academic awards being presented, we also were proud to award students for their outstanding demonstrations of our values of Respect, Resilience and Relationships.
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First Nations Graduation
Our 2023 First Nations Graduation Celebration was a very emotional ceremony and drew a huge crowd including Aunty Deb and Broncos ambassadors, Ali Briggenshaw and Justin Hodges. Younger students and the Deadly Dancers created a guard of honour for the thirteen Year 12 graduates as they entered the yarning circle. The dancers have been preparing all semester for this special occasion under the careful tutelage of Kerry Neill from TribalLink. Students performed the Fire Dance to symbolise the end of one era and the start of another. As each graduate was presented with a gift (decorated by younger students as a sign of respect to the graduating cohort), their goals and aspirations were read out – many already in jobs and receiving early offers to attend university. We wish each and every Year 12 graduate the very best in their new adventure wherever their path may lead. Congratulations!
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Cultural Unity Night
Cultural Unity Night 2023 was a massive success with standing room only for some audience members. A great diversity of cultures were represented with performances this year celebrating our Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Papua New Guinean, Tongan, Aotearoa (NZ), Samoan and Cook Islander communities at DBSHS. Congratulations to everyone involved and a huge shout out to Mama Fa and Asiah Finau for your tireless work and passion to bring the night together, and Harvest Church for the delicious food.
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Farewell to the Year 12's from Ms Crone and Mr Symons
Well, what an incredible and fulfilling senior year! Reflecting on the time spent with your cohort, it's evident that you've not only enjoyed the experiences but also developed a deep sense of love, pride, and respect for your school. The two sayings you mentioned, "Time flies when you're having fun" and "If you find a job you enjoy, you'll never have to work a day in your life", perfectly capture the essence of your journey.
It's clear that the various activities and events, from weekly Year Level Assemblies to the Moana musical, Student Band, and finally “gettin down wid it’ at Formal were evidence of your contribution to the culture of our school. You all contributed to a memorable and positive experience. The pride and respect you feel for Deception Bay State High School speaks volumes about the school's impact on your life.
As you move on from this chapter and graduate, carry those memories and the sense of fulfillment with you into the next phase of your journey. It's wonderful to see such a positive and grateful perspective on your senior years. Congratulations on reaching this milestone, and best of luck in all your future endeavors!
Alofa’aga ma ia manuia - Love and Respect
Ms Crone and Mr Symons 😊
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Junior Secondary Awards Night
Teachers, families and students came together to celebrate the academic, sporting and cultural achievements of our Junior Secondary cohort at the Junior Secondary Awards ceremony on Wednesday 29th November. Students were recognised for their talents, efforts and positive contributions to our school throughout the year.
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Important Links for 2024
Laptop specification's for Years 7, 8 and 9 Extension (Junior), Year 10, 11 and 12 (Senior)