Official Visit to Tully State School

Member for Kennedy, Mr Katter; Mayor Nolan and Mrs Nolan; Tully State School Principal, Ms Sloan; St Clare’s School Principal, Ms Harney; teachers, staff and students of Tully State School, and the student leaders visiting from St Clare’s School and Tully State High School.

Thank you for your very warm welcome. Kaye and I are absolutely delighted to be here today. 

Thank you for that inspiring welcome to country, a first for me to see one by video. I too acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands around Tully and express respectful greetings to Elders and emerging leaders.

One of the things I most missed during COVID-19 restrictions was being able to visit schools, and to see firsthand the wonderful things being done by and for the students.

During my time as Governor of Queensland I have visited almost all the regions across the State, and the highlight of every visit is meeting the people who live there. 

Thank you for inviting me to your beautiful School.

The Tully State School gardens are some of the finest in any Queensland school; you must have missed them while you were Home Learning last term. 

This has been a very challenging time for everyone, but I would like to congratulate all of you for stepping up and making the most of the Home Learning experience. 

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of your teachers, administration and school staff, and thank them for continuing to provide an excellent education under such difficult conditions. 

These are certainly unusual times, and they are not easy times, but they provide their own opportunities for learning.

We have learned the value of many things that we have always taken for granted: things like being able to go to school and see our friends; things like being able to go on holidays, or even for a long drive. 

We have learned how to cope when our plans have to change, or when our regular routine becomes uncertain. And you will be even better equipped in the future, now that ‘The Resilience Project’ has been introduced to every class here at Tully State School. 

The Years Fives and Sixes will soon have the opportunity to test their resilience, when they go to Daradgee in August. 

I hope you have a wonderful time on Camp, and experience activities that you will remember forever.

I know how disappointed you would have been when you could not go in April as originally planned, but I am sure that Camp will be twice as much fun because of the wait. 

To all students, I wish you every success for the rest of the year. Kaye and I look forward to shortly inspecting your schoolwork proudly displayed for us, and to reading to the Year 1 class. I thank you all once again for welcoming Kaye and me to Tully State School.