Burdekin Catholic High School

From the Principal

Celebrating Our Taster Day and Twilight Open Evening

What an exciting time it has been at BCHS! We were absolutely thrilled to welcome so many enthusiastic Years 5 and 6 students from across the Burdekin region for our recent Taster Day. The energy on campus was incredible as these young learners experienced a snapshot of high school life—from engaging lessons and hands-on activities to exploring our facilities and meeting new faces.

The feedback from students was overwhelmingly positive. Many shared how inspired and excited they felt about the possibilities that lie ahead in their educational journey. These experiences are truly invaluable—not only do they ease the transition into high school, but they also ignite curiosity and confidence in our future students.

Taster Day

Following this fantastic day, we were proud to open our doors for the Twilight Open Evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with both current and prospective families and to showcase all that BCHS has to offer. From curriculum highlights to extra-curricular opportunities and community spirit, the evening was a celebration of everything that makes our school special.

It is also a wonderful time for our students to showcase their leadership skills. We were so proud of our students and their roles as Tour Guides.

Thank you to everyone—staff, students, and families—who helped make both events such a success. BCHS continues to be a place where students are known, valued, and encouraged to thrive.

Twilight Open Evening

📣 Enrolments for Year 7 in 2026 are now open! If your family is considering or someone you know is considering joining the BCHS community, we encourage you to visit our website for more information and to begin the enrolment process.

National Reconciliation Week

This week we also paused to honour Reconciliation Week, beginning with a moving National Sorry Day Flag Ceremony. This was a time for our school community to reflect on the past and acknowledge the significance of truth, healing, and unity in our nation's journey. Students then participated in a range of meaningful pastoral activities on Wednesday designed to deepen their understanding of reconciliation and the importance of respectful relationships with First Nations peoples.

Wishing all our students, families, and staff a wonderful two weeks ahead—may it be filled with learning, connection, and joy.

Yours in Christ

Lorraine Wolffe
Principal

Assistant Principal - Religion

As we come to the middle of the year, the Church interestingly places a unique feast day here: The Feast of the Visitation (Saturday 31^st May). This is celebrating the memory where Mary, the mother of Jesus visited her cousin Elizabeth. This is a beautiful image because it demonstrates the strength of motherhood, especially when we’ve just celebrated our Mother’s Day over two weeks ago.

Mary, a young woman, took a pilgrimage with her child (Jesus) in her womb, to see her cousin, Elizabeth, who too was carrying. The journey presumably wasn’t an easy one as the terrain between Nazareth and Hebron was mountainous and dangerous. The equivalent would have been going from Townsville to Bowen, all by foot. How many of us can imagine making that journey today? That would give us a perspective of the courage that Mary took, for the sole purpose of being with her cousin Elizabeth and to share in each other’s journey into motherhood.

This is a beautiful image. Look at the joy the two women. Look at their embrace as both face the divine: one to the Father and the other to the Son. This Marian narrative gives great insight into the meaning of community – that we are made for each other. We are meant to visit each other as a community. This is the act of coming together, meeting each other and placing emphasis on supporting one another through the sharing of each other’s stories. There are so many opportunities where we get to do this as a school community but we also want to extend our embrace to our wider community, especially with our Catholic Parish and the wider Burdekin. This is our challenge – to visit those whom we haven’t for quite some time or to go out and make an effort to meet others wherever there are events, whether school, parish or the Burdekin.

We pray for the intercession of our Blessed Mother as her visit to her cousin Elizabeth became an exemplar, that we too may live by her example and may we always remember to pray for one another.

Blessings,
Denis Tutaka
Assistant Principal - Religion

From the Guidance Counsellor

A Special Report: Smokeless Tobacco Products

The evolving nicotine landscape requires parents and caregivers to stay informed to protect young people from these emerging threats. Snus and nicotine pouches are gaining popularity among young people as smokeless tobacco (SLT) products. Both products are discreetly placed under the upper lip, allowing nicotine absorption through the gums.

Health authorities are urging proactive measures to curb this growing trend and calling on regulators to implement controls before these products become as widespread as vapes. The high nicotine levels in these products pose serious health risks, including nicotine addiction, cardiovascular disease, gum disease, tooth decay, and even nicotine poisoning. Researchers highlight the detrimental effects of nicotine on developing brains, linking its use to depression, anxiety, ADHD symptoms, and an increased risk of addiction to other drugs.

The marketing of snus and nicotine pouches targets young audiences through social media influencers, raising concerns about their increasing popularity among school students. And like vapes, they come in various flavours and strengths, with unregulated nicotine levels leading to inconsistent and misleading labelling. It is clear that SLT products contain not only nicotine, but also other chemicals with unknown long-term effects.

This Special Report will help you become aware of the potential risks of smokeless tobacco products and guide you in age-appropriate discussions with your child. If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://bchs.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-smokeless-tobacco-products-au

From the Business Manager

School Fees Term 2 2025 Reminder

This is a courteous reminder that school fees are due on Friday, June 13th, 2025. We encourage parents to make payments via BPAY, the Compass Portal, or credit card. Details for these payment options are available on the Compass platform. Alternatively, you may inquire at the school office or contact us by phone at 4783 2366.

We also offer a Direct Debit Service for families who prefer to pay their fees on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis. If you wish to set up a payment plan, please follow this link: https://www.bchs.catholic.edu.au/enrolment/school-fees-direct-debit-information/

Families holding a valid Health Care or DVA Gold Card may be eligible for a 70% reduction in Tuition Fees in accordance with TCEO Guidelines. Please note that not all cards are eligible; a valid card must be presented at the School Office for assessment.

If you experience any difficulties regarding payment or are unable to meet the deadline, please do not hesitate to contact me for assistance.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Aimee Poveda

Staffing News

Welcome Mr Jerry Cakau to BCHS

We are pleased to welcome Mr Jerry Cakau to The Burdekin Catholic High School community.

Originally from Fiji, Mr Cakau moved to Australia in 2006 to pursue his passion for volleyball. His journey began in Canberra, where he was involved with the Australian Institute of Sport, Volleyball ACT, Volleyball Australia, and the University of Canberra.

While sport brought him to Australia, teaching has always been his true calling. Mr Cakau began his teaching career in Australia at St Edmund’s College in Canberra, where he taught for six years before relocating to Queensland. Since then, he has taught in several major cities across the state.

This year marks his first at BCHS, and we are delighted to have him on board. Outside the classroom, Mr Cakau enjoys playing sports, participating in evangelical missions, cooking, and fishing.

We thank Mr Cakau for joining our team and look forward to the positive contributions he will bring to our school community.

Creating Futures Expo

CALLING ALL BUSINESSES – BIG OR SMALL TO BE AN EXHIBITOR AT
BCHS CREATING FUTURES EXPO 2025
Thursday 26^th June 9 am – 10:30 am

Following the success of last year’s Careers Expo this event is now a fixture on the BCHS calendar. In 2025 it has been renamed, Creating Futures Expo.

All Year 7 and 12 students will have the opportunity to interact with a number of exhibitors about education, training and pathways into a variety of Careers.

If you would like to be an exhibitor all the details are listed below and registration is via the link at the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on adallecort@bchs.catholic.edu.au or on 4783 2366

Year 7 Retreat Day

On Thursday 15^th May, all our Year 7 students went to PCYC for a day of reflection and recollection on the theme of “Belonging.” They first explored the concept through group discussions, sharing and video before being introduced to what it means to be part of the wider Marist community. They were briefly introduced about the Marist values with practical activities to demonstrate being in a community. We thank our staff Mrs Berryman, Mrs Ryder, Mrs Ellis and Mr Anderson for taking time out and support our students during the retreat.

Year 12 Construction

The Year 12 Construction class has completed their seat project, which began in Year 11 and stands as a tribute to the Construction class of 2024.
The project required a range of skills, including bricklaying and consistently mixing quality mortar. From initial site set-out to final completion, it has been a rewarding and successful undertaking.

CWL Mary Help of Christians Mass

The 2025 annual CWL Mary Help of Christians Mass and morning tea in Townsville is one of many events that bring our Students and Parish together.

This year three Year 10 aspiring leaders were selected by their homeroom teachers to represent BCHS. Lucas Alexander, Ethan Pengelly and Elora Taylor travelled to Townsville to attend the Mass with our local CWL branch members. All three students were active participants in the Mass, Lucas and Ethan did readings and Elora assisted with the raffle draws.
The Mass was presided by Bishop Tim. His homily was centred around the patron saint of the of Australia – Mary Help of Christians. As Catholics we do not worship Mary, rather we ask Mary to pray for us. Mary never points us to herself, rather it is through her we are drawn to have a relationship with Jesus. BCHS is a Catholic School with a Marist Tradition. There is a saying amongst Marist … “Mary through Jesus.” It emphasizes that devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a path to a deeper relationship with Jesus himself. Every day our students are greeted by the statue of Mary in our quad, a subtle reminder that we can ask Mary to pray for us, Mary Help of Christians.

Thank you to Mary Pattinson from the Ayr CWL for always including our students.

Antonetta Dalle Cort