Arts

Thanks to all students who auditioned for the Dance, Drama, and Art Centre of Excellence.

We were overwhelmed by the talent of our students and have done our best to support as many as possible in our COE programs. All successful students and their parents will have received an email with an invitation letter and a COE contract to complete.

Some students, particularly in Years 7 and 8, may not have been selected this time. I encourage these students to audition again next year and to speak with the COE teachers about areas they can focus on for improvement. 

David Marsden | HOD of Arts | 07 4050 3083

Global Studies

Italy exchange 2024 – impressions from the most fortunate bodyguard

2024 saw the renaissance of the Italian exchange program between Cairns Sate High School and Convitto Nazionale Paolo Diacono. Covid had deferred the program for a few years and it was with w great excitement that it was re-ignited for 2024.

In June and July Cairns SHS hosted students and teachers from Cividale in the Friuli province of north eastern Italy for a month and immersed the Italians to the Australian culture with a FNQ taste. The farewell at the airport was full of tears and great excitement that the next leg was CSHS landing in Italy!

As the months passed by the work by Head of Department Sarah and Italian teacher Maddie Duncan behind the scenes was endless and professional ensuring that the concerns and questions of parents and students were already answered before they were even asked!

Italian words known by the Bodyguard – 3!

November 24 finally came to be and these excited teenagers exited Cairns to Singapore and on to Milan – Italy!!!!!

Laura, Sasha, Katie, Alice, Sunny, Bea, Yasmin, Levi and Augustus setting off! Arrivederci!

A seamless flight to Singapore and on to Milan. I’d like to say that we were all bright eyed and bushy tailed when we arrived in Milan but I think it was pure adrenalin! 

Milan – with a really big building! Fantastico!

Milan was the perfect introduction into the Italian world. Spectacular cathedrals and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuel II – and the craziest car drivers I’ve ever seen! (Little did I know what was to come!)

Off to the ‘treno stazione’- word count 5! Away we went at 250km/hr on the train via Venice (but not quite there) to Udine in the Friuli region. Students met up with their host families and away to Cividale for the 2 ‘profs’ and the boyz! The Convitto in downtown Cividale would be our home for the next month.

Cividale is an amazing town that dates back before time started and the evidence of that I simply everywhere – as did the whole of Italy it seemed. Every building is ancient, incredible, beautiful and has everything documented and available for a tour.

Cividale where the traffic is right at your front door and the Ponte del Diavolo – bellisimo! (7)

Next day we are off to school – we found out that school in Italy starts at 8am and goes through to lunch with 1 x 10 minute break – and – is on Saturday as well! Good news is that it finishes at 12:30pm allowing time for students to study uninterrupted for hours each day. San Pietro was so inclusive and welcoming for us all and it was good for Prof Duncan to catch up with her old teachers from her high school days as a student in Cividale. All lessons in Italian obviously but it was great to be in Conversational English class!

Convitto in Cividale 

The next 2 weeks saw CSHS students immersed in Italian at school, at their home and in every part of their life. This is what the program is about – live the life of a person from the other side of the world! Incredibile! (8) – that’s how it’s spelt!

Interspersed with school and Italian home life we had trips to Austria, Italian Alps, Friuli Dolomitti with families and off to Trieste, Verona, Aquilea, Grado and the capital of Slovenia – Ljubljana as part of our planned itinerary.

Also came Venice – Venezia. There is always a lot said about this city. It lived up to it’s reputation. Grandioso! – and everything you can buy that has ‘a special price for you’ label attached.

Dining out in Venezia with Prof Ballarini and her beautiful family! 

Finally as tearful and emotional farewells from our host families were happening off we went to Florence and Rome! Fiorenze and Roma!The 2024 Italian crew at a really old building! Can anyone tell me the name?

These cities are the cream of the cities that we experienced. Awesome – and literally any other superlative you can think of. The ‘crew’ fitted in a last shopping spree or three in Florence! Thanks to them all for the help in selecting jewellery on the Ponte Vecchio ? 

Finally we headed back home after experiencing the most amazing month of our lives!

Thank you to :

• Cairns State High School for supporting this educational experience of a lifetime
• Parents for the huge commitment, belief and support it takes from you to make this happen for your child
• HoD Global Studies Sarah Moss for the colossal amount of work that you did
• Prof Maddie Duncan for doing the hard work before the trip, on the trip and after the trip to make me look good
• The students – I could not hope for a better bunch of young people to do this with. Every single one of you was an amazing ambassador for Cairns SHS, your family and for yourselves. Grazie mille! Or thanksarini!
• My family for supporting me even more for 2 months that enabled

Finally – grazie mille e non vedo l’ora di farlo di nuovo.

Written by Teacher (Body Guard) Rod Whittle

Sarah Moss | Head of Department Global Studies 

International Students

In Term 1 2025, Cairns SHS welcomed 17 new students into the international student program. During the first week they explored Cairns SHS to get ready for school and met staff and students in their classes. Students demonstrated their swimming skills so they could participate and experience some of the reef adventures and scuba diving courses offered to them throughout the term. They were introduced to Australian animals – thanks to our ‘Roaming Wild’ animal experience. Seeing the animals and discussing safety in our environment is important for them to get the most of their time in Cairns.

Having these international students at our school enriches connections for our community and broadens local students’ perspectives as they are able to make friends.

Our students have been welcomed by their host families when they arrived. We would like to thank these families for supporting the students for their program. Some of these families have students at the school and find this a valuable experience for their own children.

If you are interested in becoming a host family for international students, please contact international@cairnsshs.eq.edu.au we would love to discuss this with you.

Rachel Wearmouth | International Student Program Coordinator | 07 4050 3062

Music

Welcome to our new Director of Music, Instrumental and Choral – Maureen Cameron

Maureen worked in the UK for the first half of her teaching and playing career, and has enjoyed success at national and international level with school and adult performers.

Maureen has performed and worked with some of the best brass ensembles in the world, playing with Fodens Band for 10 years+ (currently no.1 in the world), enjoying performances at some of the most prestigious venues imaginable.

In 2004, Maureen moved to Cairns as founding Head of Music at St Andrew’s Catholic College. Along with the staff there, she developed a vibrant, engaging and nationally recognised music department enjoying much success at Eisteddfods and festivals, their academic programmes used as exemplars by QCAA.

Maureen has been presented awards and accolades pertaining to her personal success, educational programmes and community involvement. She was awarded BBC, Teacher of the year just prior to moving to Cairns, and more recently – 2024, Winner – Cultural Award (Australia Day Awards).

We are delighted to have Maureen on board!

Thank you all for a warm welcome

I have hit the ground running! Auditions for all ensembles and choirs, welcoming new year 7 students to our programme, meeting staff and students currently enrolled on our POE Music program.

I’ve been involved in the CSHS musical auditions too; Mamma Mia is shaping up to be outrageously amazing and I look forward to working with the whole cast.

I am delighted to be handed the baton of care (Director of Music) by the legendary Lizanne Smith, and I will do as much as I can to uphold the traditions, standards and community that she has built and maintained for the past 36 years!

Mrs Smith will be around to help me, staff and community transition to this change and I am grateful to work in partnership with a Cairns Icon. I must take the opportunity to thank my music colleagues Stephanie Grenning, Ash Cawse, Andrea Lemann, Lauren Hannay, Jon Barbagallo, Angela McKenzie, Alannah Bowen and Simon MacMenamin for their support and patience as I settle in to CSHS.

I am thrilled to be joining a world-class team of music professionals and educators.

News from our Music Department

From everyone here in instrumental, vocal and classroom music, welcome to 2025, and welcome to a vibrant and musically challenging year of performances, community involvement and high impact music making.

As we start the new academic year, we would love to hear from you if your child has been involved in any music activity over the holidays, attended state or national level rehearsals / courses or perhaps have a great story about a visit to an incredible concert. Please let us know - keep those good news stories coming!

Congratulations Iroha Matsui, year 11 on her involvement with the National Music Camp. Please read below her account of her involvement at a national level, rubbing shoulders with the most gifted young musicians in Australia.

“Within these two weeks of consecutive practice and rehearsals with the Australian youth orchestra, I believe I had been able to gain many fun and memorable experiences. I had really enjoyed being able to play alongside many other talented students and adults that also share the same passion towards music. My experience at AYO had really helped me to broaden my perspective towards the career I would like to pursue in the future. Overall, I had really enjoyed the two weeks I had spent with the Australian youth orchestra, and I hope to be able to join them once again”.

Iroha – Australian Youth Orchestra (2025) 

Congratulations also to Olivia Stein, year 12 and Catherine Hurdley, year 10 who represented Cairns at Queensland Youth Band, a 5-day residential camp for some of the finest young brass and percussion musicians in our state.

QYB was conducted by Maureen Cameron and Bryan Hurdley, brass specialists and teachers of music at Cairns High and St Andrew’s. Young Catherine cut her teeth on Ripieno cornet, whilst Olivia was awarded principal cornet!

Whilst there, Catherine was also awarded the Leoni Marshall scholarship for outstanding contribution to brass music in school and community music. 

Bryan, Olivia, Catherine and Maureen – QYBB (2025) 

Rehearsal Schedule – Choral, Vocal and Orchestral, Ensemble

Cairns High prides itself in providing high quality ensemble and choral programmes for their students and community.

Please see below for the latest rehearsal schedules for our students. All ensembles delivered by highly regarded, specialist teachers. We are delighted to offer a wide variety of ensemble and choral programs.

Participation in ensembles is compulsory for all students in the instrumental and vocal music program. 

POE Calendar (that we know so far) 2025

Please note: - ICONIC date is not set yet, thank you for your patience

Instrumental and Vocal Lesson – Timetables

All instrumental and vocal timetables are printed and pinned on our notice board just inside the main doors of E20. Musicians are good students, and are very capable of looking at their own timetables every week prior to their lesson time.

Students should turn up to their lessons, on time with their equipment, music and a great attitude.

Our teachers work hard to prepare appropriate repertoire for your children, so home practise is expected from all POE students. If we all take responsibility for our learning and standards, the whole team is able to progress quickly and efficiently.

SHEP 2025

What is the Honours Program?

The State Honours Ensemble Program is an educational program for music students that helps extend and encourage their pursuit of musical excellence. Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University’s State Honours Ensemble Program has grown from relatively modest beginnings in 2001.  SHEP is now a firmly established aspect of music learning in Queensland, bringing together young people from all over the State, in regional centres and Brisbane to share their passion for making music.  Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University provides 4 programs in Brisbane and 11 regional programs. Regional Programs in partnership with local schools are held at; Bundaberg, Cairns, Longreach, Mackay, Maryborough, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, and Toowoomba.

Brisbane programs are held at the Queensland Conservatorium, at our South Bank Campus in South Brisbane and include; Australian Honours Ensemble Program (AHEP), SHEP Queensland (State-wide) SHEP South-East QLD, SHEP Brisbane and SHEP Primary. Further information can be found on our website at: State Honours Ensemble Program (griffith.edu.au)

AHEP 2025

The Australian Honours Ensemble Program (AHEP) is an extension of the State Honours Ensemble Program. Established in 2018 AHEP has grown to include a wind orchestra, string orchestra, vocal ensemble, symphony orchestra and big band. From over 1000 nominations annually, students are invited to audition for this highly sought-after program. Students who are successful have the opportunity to work with world-class conductors in an intensive environment that challenges and encourages them to extend their pursuit of musical excellence. Students are also provided a workshop, within their instrument area, with select staff of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.

MOST 2025

MOST 2025 will be held in Brisbane from Monday 23 June to Thursday 3 July 2025. On acceptance into MOST, students will be allocated across four ensembles, including: • symphony orchestra • symphonic winds • string orchestra • big band • chamber winds • choir. The 10-day program is designed for students to participate in rigorous rehearsals for each ensemble, individual instrumental tutorials, musicianship workshops and a variety of extracurricular activities that aim to give students an insight into the music industry. The program culminates in the MOST Gala Concert on Wednesday 2 July 2025. Evening performances by professional ensembles and the MOST Gala Concert provide students with the opportunity to celebrate outstanding practice, and to share in the thrill and satisfaction of reaching personal music goals with like-minded and equally talented musicians.

Acceptance on the course is by a combined nomination process, applications due 14 February. IM teachers approach students of a suitable standard, inform HOD music, students fill in their nomination forms and record two complete pieces in contrasting styles to be uploaded for audition / consideration by 14 Feb. More news of students who are accepted in next newsletter.

Maureen Cameron | Director of Music OAM | | 07 4050 3049

Sports

Please read below for a few quick notices regarding Sport at Cairns SHS:

Daily Notices This is where you will find all your information about Sport at Cairns SHS, please see your Connect Teacher if you are unsure how to access these.

Centre of Excellence (COE) It was great to see all our COE programs out on the field and courts this week, thanks to the coaching staff for being very flexible with training venues and sharing the indoor spaces as best we can.  A quick reminder that morning trainings begin at 7.00am and conclude at 8.15am, please arrive on time and ready to train with your coaches.

CISSA Seniors will begin the 2025 season of interschool sport next week when we host a friendly round against Trinity Bay SHS.  Good luck to all CISSA teams and coaches.  Please check your emails for more information about buses and departure times.

TCC District Sport trials are already underway, you can register your interest online here TCC Sports Trials 2025 and collect your paperwork from the HOD Sport office.  Feel free to pop in if you would like more information, Mrs Whelan is located in the Z Block HPE staffroom. 

QRSS Student Officials - Students/Parents/Carers can register their interest to be involved in the Student officials pathways directly to the parent body/sporting organisation listed below.

The links to register in the 2025 Students Officials pathways are here:

• AFL
• Basketball
• Football
• Hockey
• Netball
• Rugby League
• Softbal
• Touch Football

Amy Whelan | HOD Sport | 07 4050 3031