Proserpine State High School eNewsletter

Outside the Classroom

Real-life experiences offered at JCU Open Day

A group of our Year 11 students headed north on Friday to visit the James Cook University Open Day. They heard from lecturers about subject offerings and enjoyed exploring the campus and lecture theatres.

Year 11 student Eve Wallis is interested in pursuing a career in midwifery and said everyone at JCU was welcoming and knoweldgeable about courses on offer. Fellow peer Jayla Glindemann is interested in the same career path and said she wanted to stay longer and enjoyed learning about the technology side of the studies.

Year 11 student Aisling Barrett is interested in vet science and enjoyed meeting lecturers and the simulator experience preg testing cattle and horses.

Thank you to our Year 11 Coordinator Scott Casey and Guidance Officer Karen O'Keefe for providing this opportunity for our students.

Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival

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A bus load of our students enjoyed attending the annual Whitsunday Voices Youth Literature Festival in Mackay on Friday. Our students loved the variety of inspiration provided whether they have a love of creative writing, editing, reading books, or writing poetry.

Year 12 student Georgia Whitton's highlight was meeting author Amie Kaufman and her signing two books for her.

"It was truly a memorable moment and something I am very grateful to have experienced," Georgia said.

Fellow peer Allegra Bradley was inspired by keynote speaker Ned Brockmann, who talked to students about important life skills such as commitment and perseverance in achieving goals and how they have impacted his life. Ned is pictured with Year 11 student Jai Dennison at the event.

"Once again Whitsunday Voices was no disappointment, there were several wonderful workshops and recitations for students to engage in. It was a well-planned and interesting event that all who attended immensely enjoyed," said Year 10 student Mackenzie Cantamessa.

Thank you to our Head of Department - English Corinne Raiteri and Teacher Nathan Sainsbury for accompanying our students on the day.

James Cook University Winter School Program

Our Year 11 student Miley Thomson attended the James Cook University Winter School Program in the recent school holidays. Miley commented that the best part of the experience was understanding how connected you become with a patient and learning the benefits of nursing and how to assist someone in need.

"My advice for other students is if you see an opportunity that is offered and you're not sure if it's something you want to do, take the opportunity because it opens more doors for the future," she said.

"Opportunities like these are important to me because it helped me find out what I'm truly interested in and helped me figure out what career pathway I'd like to take."

Tiarne inspired at JCU Heroes in Science

Our Year 11 student Tiarne Watson attended the James Cook University Heroes in Science Program over the school holidays. The dynamic, hands-on STEM experience was aimed at students passionate about the environment and scientific research. The program was delivered at JCU's Ideas Lab in Cairns, with students also travelling to the Daintree Rainforest Observatory. Over two days, Tiarne participated in ecological fieldwork, biodiversity surveys, and rainforest research alongside JCU scientists.

A key highlight was being lifted high above the rainforest canopy in a crane—offering breathtaking views, including whales splashing in the ocean kilometres away. At night, she went on guided spotlighting walks to learn about bats and insects, followed by time relaxing around the campfire. These moments created the perfect setting to form unforgettable connections with new friends from across the state.

Tiarne said the Heroes in Science Program was an incredible experience that strengthened her passion for science.

"I can see myself studying at JCU and working in the labs. I got so much out of the experience," she said.

Four students' perspectives about QUT Summit

We had four students attend the QUT Future You Summit over the June/July school holidays. Each has written a small excerpt below of their experience.

My Dad went to QUT and studied Engineering so it has been a goal of mine to go there too. It was a good experience meeting kids from other schools and the lecturers too. The tech they had was interesting and they could tell us about the real-world benefits of our course. I would recommend the Summit to other students because the QUT facilities were world class.

- Written by Year 11 student Zepp Henry

I was fortunate to take part in the Health Pioneers part of the QUT Future You Summit experience. A highlight was hearing from industry professionals such as psychologists, dieticians, and paramedics about the different career paths available. We also took part in an entrepreneurship opportunity where we came up with an invention and had to pitch it to mock investors. Our idea was a women's app about how to care for their baby. I am hoping to study at university next year and pursue a career in the Science Industry.

- Written by Year 12 student Ruhveer Kaur

The best part of the QUT Future You Summit experience was the "pitch off" where we designed our own product and pitched it to different people for them to invest into it. Not only was it enjoyable working in my group to create the design, but being in charge of the pitch and meeting actual real life investors was so cool. Although my group didn't win, we had an investor say they actually want to work with us to design and manufacture our product.

There was a lot to take away, but for me it would be that mechanical engineering is a lot more intertwined with the other parts of engineering than I thought. From building tracks for cars, making solar powers fans, creating AI, and even making your own products, there was a basis of mechanical engineering in all of it. The second aspect I took away from the experience was that university isn't as scary as people say, everyone was really nice. The lecturers that come in, along with the students studying at QUT are all really supportive and try to help you learn more about what you want to do.

For those applying I would say to be yourself in the application. They want to see who you are and what you would bring, not what you think they want. The programs are so enjoyable because everyone brings a part to it with their personality.

- Written by Year 12 student Thalia Foster

The absolute best part of the QUT Future You Summit was the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. Meeting other students who are just as passionate and curious about exploring future possibilities was incredibly inspiring and made the whole experience even more rewarding.

Two significant things I took away from the Summit were a deeper understanding of the flexibility of the courses offered at QUT, and the strong sense of community. I learned that I have the ability to explore various fields of study and combine different interests before deciding on a specific career path. The supportive atmosphere and the genuine connections I made with fellow students and faculty members really highlighted the value of community at QUT.

My advice to younger students who are thinking about applying is this: don't be scared if you don't have it all figured out yet. The QUT Future You Summit is designed to help you discover your passions and explore different options. There truly is something for everyone, and the Summit is definitely worth it. You'll gain valuable insights, make heaps of close friends, and realise that you're not alone in your journey of self-discovery.

- Written by Year 12 student Ivy Thompson

Alexa enjoys insight at Future Doctors Program

Our Year 10 student Alexa Stuchbree took part in the NIE Future Doctors Program over the school holidays. Alexa said the best part was being able to experience and learn about different medical specialists and meeting some awesome people that inspired her passion for a career in health.

"What I have taken from this experience is that there is always someone who will be able to help you when you need it," she said.

"These opportunities are so important to me because growing up in a rural area, these experiences don’t come often, and by taking part it has taught me what I need to know for my senior year coming up." Well done Alexa!

Griffith Musical Theatre Audition Workshop

During the first week of the school holidays, our students Blake Hanks, Ivy Thompson and Hayden Hudak attended the Griffith University Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre Audition Workshop.

It was a one-week, full-time intensive workshop focused on two hours of singing, two hours of dancing, and two hours of acting each day, providing a comprehensive overview of the skills required for success in this field.

On the final day, the students participated in a mock audition and received individual feedback across all areas. This experience was incredibly valuable in preparing our students for the real-world pressures of university auditions.

The workshop was very competitive—students had to audition to secure a place, so it really was a case of survival of the fittest!

The Bachelor of Musical Theatre Degree at Grifith University only takes 20 students per year and we wish our students the best of luck with their auditions.

Seniors complete PADI open water accrediation

Well done to our Year 12 students James Miller, Ella Cram and Isla Gallagher who completed their Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation during the school holidays.

The trio completed their certification through the Australian Global Institute and Devocean Dive in conjunction with Bowen State High School where they also received their PADI Open Water accreditation. Positive feedback from the instructors noted James, Ella and Isla as hardworking, respectful and a pleasure to teach.

UQ Winter School – Shakespeare’s Macbeth

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The University of Queensland’s Centre for Western Civilisation hosted an immersive three-day Winter School during the school holidays focused on Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Our Year 11 student Tiarne Watson was successful in her application to attend the 4-day event staying on campus at The Women’s College, where she attended academic lectures, dramatic performances, and small-group seminars across UQ’s St Lucia campus.

Highlights included a live performance of Express Macbeth by the Queensland Shakespeare Ensemble, interactive workshops with the actors, and close reading sessions of key scenes. Tiarne said a highlight was exploring rare literary texts in the Fryer Library’s “White Gloves” activity and participated in a sonnet-writing workshop.

"Throughout the program, I made some great friends with students who share my interest in literature and history," she said.