Newsletter Term 4 Week 6 2024
Principal's Message
Dear Mabel Park State School community,
Talofa Lava,
We were thrilled to celebrate our 50th Anniversary on Friday, 1st November. This was a remarkable milestone for our school, and we warmly welcomed past teachers, parents and staff to join us for this special occasion.
A big thank you to the families who have participated in our Prep Readiness Program. This is an essential part of our annual Prep transition, helping our youngest learners feel prepared and excited for the journey ahead.
Looking forward, our Year 6 Graduation is scheduled for Wednesday, 4th December. Our Year 6 students are currently engaged in a thorough transition process in preparation for their move to Mabel Park State High School in 2025. We are confident that these experiences will help set them up for success as they move on to high school.
Lastly, a reminder that all students are required to bring a hat to school each day. Wearing a hat is crucial for sun safety, so please ensure that your child has one ready to bring along daily.
Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. We look forward to celebrating these milestones together!
Masina Taule’alo
Principal
Junior Campus Deputy Principal
Mabel Park SS Turns 50!
What a celebration! Our school’s 50th Anniversary was a day to remember, filled with energy, creativity, and lots of school spirit. The highlight of the day was our parade, featuring fantastic performances by Mana Moana, Mabel Mob, and the Cultural Fusion Dance Group. Each group brought something special, making the whole event feel like one big, joyful celebration.
One of the sweetest parts of our celebration was a display of drawings by our talented students. These artistic masterpieces featured portraits of our current staff members, showing just how much our students appreciate and admire their teachers. The drawings added a personal touch to the celebration, bringing smiles to the faces of the staff.
The day was made even more special with the return of many former staff members. It was amazing to see them back at Mabel Park SS, reconnecting with old friends and reliving memories of the good old days. Their return really highlighted the friendships and connections that have shaped our school over the years.
A big thank you to everyone who made the 50th Anniversary celebration such a success. From the performances to the artwork, and especially the memories shared, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to mark this milestone. Here’s to the next 50 years of growth, achievement, and community!
Alexis Bell
Prep Readiness
Excitement is building as we prepare for the 2025 school year, and our Prep Readiness Program is already helping our youngest learners get ready for the big step into Prep! This special program is designed to help children transition smoothly into their new school environment, making the first day of Prep feel a little easier for everyone.
Throughout the program, children have the chance to meet their future teachers, make new friends, and explore their new school setting. Each session is filled with fun and engaging activities, from story time to play-based games, and even adorable craft projects that allow the kids to express their creativity.
The Prep Readiness Program not only helps children feel more confident about starting school, but it also gives parents a sense of reassurance knowing their little ones are getting a gentle introduction to their school routine. We’re thrilled to see how much the children are enjoying these sessions, and we can’t wait for them to continue their learning journey when they officially step into Prep in 2025!
If you know any children who will be starting Prep next year, be sure to encourage them to join in the fun! The Prep Readiness Program is a wonderful way to help kids feel excited and prepared for the adventure ahead and runs every Friday morning from 9-10am.
Middle Campus Deputy Principal
Assessment time is upon us with students working really hard in their classrooms to achieve the best possible outcomes. Term 4 is a busy term and we have many events coming up for our Year 6’s before they head off to high school. Please keep checking our Facebook page for details of the Year 6 Celebration Day and Graduation. Our year 5 and year 6 students have begun the term well by upholding our school values of Trust, Courage and Respect. We are very proud of the young adults they are becoming.
MPSS Celebrating 50 years
Thank you to all our staff, students and community for attending our 50th celebration at MPSS last Friday. It was a wonderful event where we got to reflect on the past and acknowledge the growth of our school. It was lovely to showcase how diverse our school is and showcase the many multicultural groups who performed amazingly. We look forward to another 50 years.
Secondary School
Parent and carers of year 6 students please reach out to us here at school or prospective secondary school if needing support with enrolment. It is very important to enrol in a secondary school before the end of the year. We have many transition programs coming up over at Mabel Park State High School however students need to be enrolled to attend. The majority of our students do end up going to Mabel Park State High School due to the amazing programs they offer. However please note that different schools suit different students and there are many options out there. Please do not hesitate to reach out to myself or Sarah Williamson our Head of Department Student Services if you would like to organise a meeting to discuss options for high school. We are more then happy to help.
Uniform
With the weather warming up it is very important that all students have a bucket hat to wear out in the playground or on the oval. We take Sun Safety seriously and want to ensure all students are safe.
Attendance-Every Day Counts
“Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.“
Every day counts is a state-wide initiative that aims to assist in improving student attendance at school through a shared commitment by students, parents, caregivers, schools and the community. Please notify our administration ladies or leave a voicemail if your student is absent from school.
https://education.qld.gov.au/initiatives-and-strategies/initiatives/every-day-counts
Sonya Wright
Student Services at Mabel
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL)
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 5 is: We show RESPECT for individual difference.
Our PBL Focus for Week 6 is: We show COURAGE by owning my behaviour.
Middle Campus students should NOT be hanging around on Junior Campus before school. (Exception for older siblings supervising Prep students in the Prep area only). Middle Campus students should move to the Middle Campus Tuckshop area as soon as they arrive at school.
Attendance
It has been fantastic to see so many students Here, Every day, Ready and On time.
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.
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
Unexplained Absence Letters have been sent out last week. Please return as soon as possible to your campus office.
Teresa Radicke, Sarah Williamson and Karen Gardyne
Head of Department Student Services
Attention Year 6 Parents - High School Transitions and Graduation
Please make sure you have filled out and handed in your child’s high school enrolment. Unfortunately, many of our current Year 6 students are not actively enrolled in a high school. This is essential for them to be able to attend Transition Day which can in turn alleviate some of the anxieties felt around going to high school.
Please contact Sarah Williamson on Middle Campus if you require any assistance around this process or wish to confirm which high school is your catchment school. Many parents assume that because their child attends Mabel Park State School, the enrolment is automatic for the high school, however this is not the case.
Please also Save the Date for our Year 6 Graduation at Gracehouse.
Are your contact details up to date?
We have had a number of instances where we cannot contact parents and caregivers in an emergency. It is vital that 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.