Newsletter Term 3 Week 9 2024
Principal's Message
As the end of term is fast approaching it has been a delight to be replacing Masina Taule'alo as Principal whilst he is on Long Service Leave. This has provided me with the opportunity to get to know students and families on our Junior Campus and see all the amazing learning that has been taking place in classrooms.
Parent Teacher Interviews
I strongly encourage you to take up the opportunity to talk to our amazing teachers about your child’s learning in the upcoming Parent teacher interviews this term. These will take place on Tuesday the 10 September beginning at 3:00pm and concluding at 6:00pm on Junior Campus in the Resource Centre. We look forward to seeing as many families as possible to discuss your child’s learning journey and goals for term 4. We really value these conversations and connecting with community.
Sun Safety
As the weather has warmed up it is a timely reminder how important Sun Safety is to protect ourselves from the harsh Australian sun. As part of our school rules, it is important that students wear a wide brimmed hat when at school. Please reframe from sending students to school with a cap as this does not meet the requirements of all Queensland State Schools Sun Safety guidelines. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need assistance getting a wide brimmed hat for your child.
Teacher Aide Appreciation Week
This week was Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week which is the perfect time to acknowledge the amazing work teacher aides do in assisting teachers and providing support to students in at our school. Please make sure to thank them throughout the week or at any time as the support they provide is unmeasurable.
Under 8s Day
Under 8s Day is just around the corner! We are so excited to provide this event at our school which provides such a fun opportunity for staff, students and community to connect. Please keep an eye out for all the amazing pictures that will be on our social media pages in the near future.
Mabel’s Got Talent
Mabel’s Got Talent is a fantastic annual event that is fast approaching. Audition rounds have been happening this week with many of our superstar students taking to the stage with incredible performances. We are super excited for our 2024 performers to showcase Mabel Park State Schools diverse talent. Keep on eye on our social media pages for dates.
Fiafia Night
What an incredible night and celebration of our school’s diversity and talent. The dedication and enthusiasm made the event a memorable success for everyone in attendance. The hard work that went into coordinating rehearsals to handling logistics and offering encouragement to our students by staff was a delight to see. The night was a true reflection of our school's amazing community spirit.
Kind Regards
Sonja Wright
Acting Principal
Junior Campus Deputy Principal
Prep Learning in Term 3
Attention, parents: We regret to report a recent crime spree in our Prep classrooms, perpetrated by the notorious Rhyme Crime Thief, as described in Jon Burgerman’s cheeky book, Rhyme Crime. This sneaky character has been on a rampage, swapping bells with shells and pens with hens (don’t worry, they were just pictures, not live hens). He even went into my office and swapped my phone for a bone! Our young detectives have been on high alert, investigating the culprit's rhyming shenanigans. Thanks to the book’s playful rhymes, our students are not only uncovering the mystery but also sharpening their knowledge of sounds in words. Please join us in monitoring this sneaky thief and case of rhyming riddles, and keep an eye out for any peculiar swaps at home. Stay vigilant! Perhaps you could ask your child about their favourite parts and enjoy some rhyming fun together at home.
Thank you for supporting their learning!
Alexis Bell
Year 2 English
Our Year 2 students are having a blast with their English lessons, focusing on becoming persuasive writers through the magic of storytelling! They’ve been exploring two versions of the same story, picking a character from each, and comparing them. This helps them see how different authors can tell the same tale in exciting ways and spot both the similarities and differences in the characters
In their group discussions, the students are sharing their favourite characters and explaining why they like them best. They’re learning how to use details from the stories to make their arguments strong and convincing. You can join in the fun at home by chatting with your child about their favourite characters and encouraging them to explain their choices. It’s a great way to support their growing writing skills!
Middle Campus Deputy Principal
Welcome to the end of Term 3. This term has gone by so fast. It is not until we get to the end of a term that we have time to look back on how far students have come. I have enjoyed going into the classrooms to see the students’ work. The students are beaming with pride and everyone wants to show off how well they have done.
As the year is quickly slipping by, now is the time to begin the process of enrolling your Year 6 child in a high school for 2025. In Term 4, high schools will provide students in Year 6 with the opportunity to visit for a day as part of the transition to high school process. The transition days are important for students to enable them to see what their future school is like and to be best prepared for a positive start in 2025.
Year 6 Graduation will be held at Gracehouse on Wednesday 4 December. Invitations will be sent home in Term 4. Limit of four guests per student.
Applications are now available for Year 5 students for school leader positions in 2025. Applications close Friday 11 October 2024. Shortlisted applicants will be asked to present a 2-minute speech to members of the leadership team in Term 4.
Mabel Park State School 2025 leaders must….
- Be responsible and reliable
- Demonstrate the values of TRUST, COURAGE and RESPECT consistently
- Maintain above 90% attendance
- Wear full school uniform with pride
- Be willing to attend meetings, volunteer during some lunch times, participate in school events and be an active member of our school community
Good luck to students in Year 5 and Year 6 participating in the Netball Gala Day at Mabel Park State High School on Friday 6 September.
Speech Pathology Week was celebrated from 25 August to 31 August, and shines a spotlight on the invaluable contributions made by speech language pathologists in Queensland state schools. Their unwavering dedication enables students facing communication challenges to embrace learning with confidence, ensuring their full engagement in every facet of school life. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Bhavini and Erica for being an invaluable part of our school community.
Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week was celebrated from 2 September to 6 September. It is the perfect time to celebrate the wonderful work teacher aides do in schools. We value and appreciate everything our teacher aides do for our students and our school.
Reminders
- Year 6 Pat Rafter Tennis excursion on Tuesday 10 September
- Parent Teacher Interviews on Tuesday 10 September
- Applications due for school leader positions in 2025 by Friday 11 October
- Year 6 Graduation on Wednesday 4 December
On behalf of all staff at Mabel Park State School, I hope you have a wonderful school holiday, stay safe and enjoy the opportunity to refresh. Term 4 begins on Monday 30 September. Make Term 4 the term when your child doesn’t miss a day of school. Research shows that students who have good patterns of attendance are more likely to achieve at school. If students aren’t at school, they are missing valuable lessons. It is critical that student attendance remains a priority to support the teaching and learning that is taking place.
Teresa Radicke
Acting Deputy Principal
Student Services at Mabel
Hats are a part of our uniform. We require all students to wear a hat at break times and outdoor activities such as HPE lessons to promote sun safety. We have a NO HAT, undercover play policy at Mabel Park State School. Please ensure your child has a hat each day. Play time is an important part of the day and we want to ensure all of our students have the opportunity to play.
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is a whole-school framework used in our school to promote positive behaviour. PBL helps us to develop a safe and supportive learning environment, build positive relationships and improve student learning outcomes.
Our school community has worked together to establish simple, clear and explicit expectations for behaviour. Student behaviour improves when students know what is expected of them and when good behaviour is recognised.
Our school takes a proactive, preventative approach, ensuring that all students receive the appropriate level of support to help them to succeed. Our PBL team constantly works to ensure that all students benefit and identified students receive additional support when needed. When disruptive behaviour occurs, our approach is grounded in patience and collaboration. We believe in giving students every opportunity to make better choices. The Ingredients for Engagement are some examples as to how we may address situations.
Sarah Williamson, Karen Gardyne and Lauren English - Acting Head of Department,
Head of Department Student Services
Each week, a particular focus area that aligns with our school values of TRUST, COURAGE and REPSECT is presented to all classes. Every day, students can earn Gotchas for displaying the school values.
Our PBL Focus for Week 9 is: We show COURAGE by using strategies to regulate our emotions.
Our PBL Focus for Week 10 is: We show COURAGE by following safety tips to keep us safe during the school holidays.
Attendance
Learning starts at 8:40am every day. As part of our school policy, you are required to notify the school on the same day that your child is away and let the school know the reason for their absence. If we do not hear from you on the day your child is away, the school will send a text notification in the morning. It is important you keep us updated with any new home address, mobile number and email addresses. As a parent, your obligation is to reply to the text notification with your child’s name, class and reason for absence.
If your child is unwell and cannot come to school, please notify the school of your child's absence by:
- Ringing the school – 07 33865333
- Replying to the SMS sent by the school
- Writing a note explaining the absence
Are your contact details up to date?
In the event of an emergency or accident, the school MUST be able to contact you immediately by telephone, so we need to have the most up-to-date information on our system.
Please keep us updated with any new home address, telephone number and email addresses.