National Simultaneous Storytime - 27 May 2026

Upcoming Harvest, Warrgin Plantation Area Kuranda State Forest

The College has been informed of the upcoming harvest and hauling of timber from the Warrgin Plantation Area, Kuranda State Forest.    Below is the email sent to the College informing us of the Haulage trucks that will be moving past the school during May between 4am and 5pm.  This notification is to ensure that you and your family are aware and to be cautious when entering and exiting the college car park at drop off and pick up time.  We will also be talking to the students about safety regarding the increased movement of trucks past our college during this time.

The safety of students, families and staff is our priority.

2026 Mareeba Rodeo Queen Competition

The 2026 Mareeba Rodeo Festival Queen Competition is open to residents of the Mareeba Shire. The competition is a great way for entrants to meet new people, grow in confidence, have fun & learn many new things.

We invite businesses and clubs to sponsor an entrant to enhance the success of the Rodeo Festival. The competition is open to unmarried females, aged 16-21 years by judging day - Sunday, 5th July 2026.

The amount of support (money or other) provided by a sponsor to their entrant, is at the discretion of the sponsor. There is a limit of one sponsor per entrant. It is a requirement that the sponsor or a representative attend the Rodeo Ball that will be held on Saturday, 4th July 2026.

Entrants will be judged on qualities needed to be a good Mareeba Rodeo ambassador. Judging will take place at an interview on Sunday, 6th July and prior to this via observation at public engagements including the Rodeo Ball.  At the interview, judges will determine each entrant’s knowledge regarding the Mareeba Rodeo and Mareeba region, their conversation skills and how they present themselves.

At the public events, judges will observe how each entrant conducts themselves through interactions with others, their public speaking skills and their appearance and manners.

The announcement of the Rodeo Queen and Princess is made after the Downtown Parade and is a widely anticipated part of the rodeo festivities.

Mareeba Rodeo Queen Competition 2026 

KDSC Anzac Day 2026

The KDSC Anzac Day 2026 commemoration was a meaningful and well-coordinated event, made possible through the combined efforts of our dedicated hospitality students and staff. A special acknowledgement goes to Ms Lucy McGuiness and Ms Kerry Winslett for their guidance and support in preparing students to contribute so professionally on the day. Their teamwork and commitment were evident in every detail.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Ms Clode for her organisation in bringing the event together. Her efforts ensured a respectful and memorable occasion for our school community.

Our Scholastic Book Fair is nearly here!

The Scholastic Book Fair will open at 8.30am on 11^th May, so come along to find the best new books and help to earn free books for our library!

If you would like to become a Book Fair-y by purchasing vouchers to be used for prizes/gifts for students, or purchase books for the school library, please contact the Administration office. 

Your library love will be much appreciated.

Nina Hansen, Transition Pathways Officer

Principal Report

Week 3, Term 2 – 2026

Welcome back to Term 2.

We concluded Term 1 on a high note with our annual Cross Country event. It was wonderful to see students from all year levels participating with enthusiasm and enjoyment. The strong presence of parents, grandparents and community members added to the positive atmosphere, and it was pleasing to see so many families supporting our students. The morning was a great success, with favourable weather, a well-supported sausage sizzle and a strong sense of community spirit. Congratulations to all students for their participation and thank you to Mr Dunsmuir and Mr Cole for their organisation, along with the Wellbeing team for coordinating the sausage sizzle.

Term 2 has commenced positively, with strong student attendance across the college. As a reminder, every day counts. Consistent attendance and active engagement in learning are critical to developing the skills and knowledge students need for their future pathways. Our staff invest significant time in preparing high-quality learning experiences, and students are expected to attend all classes and complete required work and assessment. It is encouraging to see a positive start to the term in this regard.

ANZAC Ceremony

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of our college community who contributed to our ANZAC Ceremony on Friday.

Thank you to Mrs Clode for coordinating the event. The ceremony was respectful, well organised and ran seamlessly. I also acknowledge our hospitality staff and students for preparing a wonderful morning tea, which was greatly appreciated by all in attendance.

Thank you to all staff and students who assisted with the preparation and pack-up of the event. Your collective efforts ensured its success and reflected the strong sense of community within our college.

It was a powerful demonstration of our values to see our school and wider community come together to honour and remember those who have served and sacrificed. The respect and pride shown throughout the ceremony were commendable.

I would also like to acknowledge the staff, students and families who attended the Dawn Service in Kuranda. It was a moving occasion, and I am particularly proud of our student leaders—Jaegar, Imogen and Emily—who represented the college and laid a wreath on our behalf.

College Update

There have been some minor adjustments to college operations this year. The Executive Leadership Team is now based in the main administration office (Secondary Campus) before and after school. This office serves as the central point for a range of key functions, including:

• All visitors signing in at reception
• Booking appointments with the Principal, Deputy Principals, Heads of Department, HOSES and teachers
• Processing payments
• Hosting P&C meetings
• Signing in late secondary students
• Collection of unwell secondary students
• Official meetings with secondary leadership and teaching staff

The Primary Campus administration office remains in operation for the following:

• Signing in late students (all students must sign in prior to attending class)
• Collection of unwell students
• Official meetings with the Deputy Principal (Primary), Head of Department (Primary), HOSES and class teachers

We appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to refine our processes to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the college.

National Simultaneous Storytime - 27 May 2026

Upcoming Harvest, Warrgin Plantation Area Kuranda State Forest

The College has been informed of the upcoming harvest and hauling of timber from the Warrgin Plantation Area, Kuranda State Forest.    Below is the email sent to the College informing us of the Haulage trucks that will be moving past the school during May between 4am and 5pm.  This notification is to ensure that you and your family are aware and to be cautious when entering and exiting the college car park at drop off and pick up time.  We will also be talking to the students about safety regarding the increased movement of trucks past our college during this time.

The safety of students, families and staff is our priority.

2026 Mareeba Rodeo Queen Competition

The 2026 Mareeba Rodeo Festival Queen Competition is open to residents of the Mareeba Shire. The competition is a great way for entrants to meet new people, grow in confidence, have fun & learn many new things.

We invite businesses and clubs to sponsor an entrant to enhance the success of the Rodeo Festival. The competition is open to unmarried females, aged 16-21 years by judging day - Sunday, 5th July 2026.

The amount of support (money or other) provided by a sponsor to their entrant, is at the discretion of the sponsor. There is a limit of one sponsor per entrant. It is a requirement that the sponsor or a representative attend the Rodeo Ball that will be held on Saturday, 4th July 2026.

Entrants will be judged on qualities needed to be a good Mareeba Rodeo ambassador. Judging will take place at an interview on Sunday, 6th July and prior to this via observation at public engagements including the Rodeo Ball.  At the interview, judges will determine each entrant’s knowledge regarding the Mareeba Rodeo and Mareeba region, their conversation skills and how they present themselves.

At the public events, judges will observe how each entrant conducts themselves through interactions with others, their public speaking skills and their appearance and manners.

The announcement of the Rodeo Queen and Princess is made after the Downtown Parade and is a widely anticipated part of the rodeo festivities.

Mareeba Rodeo Queen Competition 2026 

KDSC Anzac Day 2026

The KDSC Anzac Day 2026 commemoration was a meaningful and well-coordinated event, made possible through the combined efforts of our dedicated hospitality students and staff. A special acknowledgement goes to Ms Lucy McGuiness and Ms Kerry Winslett for their guidance and support in preparing students to contribute so professionally on the day. Their teamwork and commitment were evident in every detail.

We also extend our sincere thanks to Ms Clode for her organisation in bringing the event together. Her efforts ensured a respectful and memorable occasion for our school community.

Our Scholastic Book Fair is nearly here!

The Scholastic Book Fair will open at 8.30am on 11^th May, so come along to find the best new books and help to earn free books for our library!

If you would like to become a Book Fair-y by purchasing vouchers to be used for prizes/gifts for students, or purchase books for the school library, please contact the Administration office. 

Your library love will be much appreciated.

P&C Update

Kuranda District State College P&C Update – April 2026

The Kuranda District State College P&C held its Annual General Meeting and general P&C meeting on 16 February 2026. It was a chance to reflect on the year that’s been and look ahead to what’s coming up for our school community.

At the AGM, we said thank you and farewell to two long-serving members of the executive. Lucy McGuiness stepped down as President after many years of dedication to the P&C. Lucy has put in a huge amount of time and effort over the years and has played a big part in supporting the school and its direction. We’re very grateful for everything she’s contributed.

We also acknowledged Deb Allen, who stepped down as Uniform Shop Coordinator after many years of reliable service, both in the uniform shop and on the committee. Deb has been a steady hand behind the scenes, and we sincerely thank her for the time and care she’s given to the role.

We’re pleased to welcome the new executive:

• Nathanael Knapp – President

• Linda Abenthum – Treasurer

• Karri Holmes – Secretary

A special mention to Karri for her ongoing commitment to the P&C while also working at the school. That extra effort doesn’t go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated.

We also thank Shireen Kostic for stepping in to help keep the uniform shop ticking over for now. That said, we do urgently need a volunteer to take on the Uniform Shop Coordinator role to keep this service running for families.

The annual audit came back with a strong result and no major issues identified. Financially, the P&C is sitting in a stable position, operating around break-even with a small loss for the year while still putting funds back into the school where they’re needed.

From the general meeting, a few key updates:

• P&C meetings will now run in Weeks 4 and 9 each term – keep an eye on the school info board for details.
• $3,000 worth of iPads have been purchased for the primary school to support the Special Education Program.
• We were successful in securing a $57,000 Gambling Community Benefit Fund grant, which will go towards staging, choir risers, a PA system and new musical instruments including trumpets, flutes, saxophones and clarinets. It’s great to see instrumental music now being offered on the secondary campus for the first time.
• Old P&C lockers have been approved to be gifted to the college for additional storage.
• An application has been submitted to the CleanCo Community Fund to support Book Week 2026. Thanks to Nicola Clode for the work put into that submission.

We’d also like to take a moment to acknowledge the teachers, school staff and leadership team. The work that goes into educating our kids doesn’t always get seen, and we know it can be challenging at times. But it’s also incredibly important and rewarding work, and our community benefits from the effort, care and professionalism that’s put in every day.

A big shout out as well to everyone involved in this year’s ANZAC Day ceremony. The student leaders, staff and organisers did a fantastic job planning and delivering a respectful and meaningful event. It’s an important part of our national story, and it’s great to see the college making sure students, families and the wider community have the opportunity to be part of that commemoration.

We’d also like to recognise the hospitality students and staff for the outstanding morning tea. It was a great showcase of the students’ skills and a credit to the program.

The P&C will also be continuing its involvement in the Kuranda Amphitheatre monthly markets. The next one is the Mother’s Day Markets on 10 May, and it’s a great way to raise a bit of extra funding for the school while being part of the local community. We’d really welcome any donations of items that can be sold on the stall, with all profits going straight back into P&C fundraising. Donations can be dropped off at the uniform shop on Friday mornings, brought along on the day, or you can reach out via email to arrange another time.

As always, the P&C relies on volunteers to keep things running, whether that’s fundraising, events, or services like the uniform shop. If you’ve got a bit of time to give, we’d love to have you involved.

Our next meeting is on Monday 11 May at 4:30pm in the Collaboration Room, Secondary College. We would love to see you there! 

Contact: pandc@kurandadistrictsc.eq.edu.au or feel free to leave a message at the College Administration Office and we'll get back to you.  

Nina Hansen, Transition Pathways Officer

Principal Report

Week 3, Term 2 – 2026

Welcome back to Term 2.

We concluded Term 1 on a high note with our annual Cross Country event. It was wonderful to see students from all year levels participating with enthusiasm and enjoyment. The strong presence of parents, grandparents and community members added to the positive atmosphere, and it was pleasing to see so many families supporting our students. The morning was a great success, with favourable weather, a well-supported sausage sizzle and a strong sense of community spirit. Congratulations to all students for their participation and thank you to Mr Dunsmuir and Mr Cole for their organisation, along with the Wellbeing team for coordinating the sausage sizzle.

Term 2 has commenced positively, with strong student attendance across the college. As a reminder, every day counts. Consistent attendance and active engagement in learning are critical to developing the skills and knowledge students need for their future pathways. Our staff invest significant time in preparing high-quality learning experiences, and students are expected to attend all classes and complete required work and assessment. It is encouraging to see a positive start to the term in this regard.

ANZAC Ceremony

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all members of our college community who contributed to our ANZAC Ceremony on Friday.

Thank you to Mrs Clode for coordinating the event. The ceremony was respectful, well organised and ran seamlessly. I also acknowledge our hospitality staff and students for preparing a wonderful morning tea, which was greatly appreciated by all in attendance.

Thank you to all staff and students who assisted with the preparation and pack-up of the event. Your collective efforts ensured its success and reflected the strong sense of community within our college.

It was a powerful demonstration of our values to see our school and wider community come together to honour and remember those who have served and sacrificed. The respect and pride shown throughout the ceremony were commendable.

I would also like to acknowledge the staff, students and families who attended the Dawn Service in Kuranda. It was a moving occasion, and I am particularly proud of our student leaders—Jaegar, Imogen and Emily—who represented the college and laid a wreath on our behalf.

College Update

There have been some minor adjustments to college operations this year. The Executive Leadership Team is now based in the main administration office (Secondary Campus) before and after school. This office serves as the central point for a range of key functions, including:

• All visitors signing in at reception
• Booking appointments with the Principal, Deputy Principals, Heads of Department, HOSES and teachers
• Processing payments
• Hosting P&C meetings
• Signing in late secondary students
• Collection of unwell secondary students
• Official meetings with secondary leadership and teaching staff

The Primary Campus administration office remains in operation for the following:

• Signing in late students (all students must sign in prior to attending class)
• Collection of unwell students
• Official meetings with the Deputy Principal (Primary), Head of Department (Primary), HOSES and class teachers

We appreciate your ongoing support as we continue to refine our processes to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the college.