7 March 2025

Dates to Remember

Principal News

Children and young people learn every day, in every environment they are in. Parents and carers are their children’s first educators, and how parents and carers support their children’s learning matters. Schools provide the professional expertise and formal structure of education, and parents shape their children’s values, attitudes and approaches to learning.

Together, schools, parents and carers provide the opportunities for children to thrive. Parent/Carer engagement in learning starts from early childhood and continues as children move through school and beyond. Engaging with parents and carers is, and has always been, at the heart of working with children and supporting them to learn.

Parent/Carer engagement in learning is embedded in the standards that guide professional teaching practice and is a core aspect of teaching expertise. Authentic parent engagement may not always be easy. For our education system to be world class, we must support leaders, teachers and parents to partner in purposeful and effective ways. We know from the research that significant benefits are possible through strong parent-school partnerships. Schools with effective parent/carer engagement are more likely to increase academic achievements and student wellbeing, and improve lifelong outcomes for children

I would like to encourage all families to become involved in our school through the following ways:-

Join our P&C and become a member – our next general meeting and AGM (voting for the 2025 P&C Executive and 2025 membership approvals) occurs on Tuesday 18 March at 6:0pm in the Grand Avenue State School STEAM room. Membership forms can be located on our school website.

https://grandavenuess.eq.edu.au/SupportAndResources/FormsAndDocuments/Documents/Our%20Community/P%26C/P%26C_Membership_Form_2025%20GASS.pdf

We will also provide these forms at the meeting for those who wish to sign up or vote.

Parents and Citizens' (P&C) associations work in productive partnership with their school principal and the community to promote the interests of the school, and facilitate its development and further improvement, to achieve the best possible outcomes for students.

P&Cs provide feedback and advice on school policies and activities, assist in providing resources to enhance student outcomes and are involved in a variety of school activities including fundraising, school functions, tuckshops and outside school hours care services.

NAPLAN

This March, students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 will take part in NAPLAN testing. NAPLAN assesses the skills of all students in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and numeracy. We have attached our school’s testing schedule to this email.

NAPLAN tests help you to understand how your child is progressing in the fundamental skills of literacy and numeracy. NAPLAN is also an important tool in helping us to identify how our education programs are working and what needs to improve.

You might hear your child talking about NAPLAN.

When your child comes home from school, they might mention NAPLAN. They might talk about NAPLAN activities they have done in class, including practice tests.

Students don’t need to practise for NAPLAN. But we do want your child to be familiar with: the online test environment, the device they’ll use during the test, the different kinds of questions, how they use their time and how they check their work.

So when your child talks about practice tests, they’re talking about resources like the NAPLAN public demonstration site. This site helps students to become familiar with the different kinds of questions they will see in a real NAPLAN test.

Your child’s welfare is the most important thing.

We do these activities to help your child feel safe, confident and capable. They will know what to expect and what they have to do. Students do not need to stress about NAPLAN. It’s just one part of their school program, and we simply encourage students to do the best they can.

NAPLAN is for everyone.

Across the country, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in NAPLAN. The online tests have many features to enhance the test experience for students with and without disability. We also provide adjustments and alternative test formats to allow students with disability to access the tests and show what they know and can do. Talk to us if you need more information.

Have a go at the test yourself and contact us if you need to know more.

See what NAPLAN will be like for your child by visiting the public demonstration site. Find out more by visiting the department’s NAPLAN page for parents and carers.

ACARA’s student privacy notice on the collection of student information for NAPLAN is also available.

If you have any other questions about NAPLAN, please contact Mrs David Robertson on dxrob6@eq.edu.au.

We are excited that your child gets the chance to show their learning in NAPLAN this year

Parent/Carer Teacher Interviews –

Our Semester 1 Parent/Carer Teacher Interviews will be held this term in week 9 - Tuesday 3:00pm to 7:00pm teachers may also have meetings times available throughout week 9 before school 7:30am onwards and after school until 5:00pm.  We will send information shortly about how you can book these meetings times with your child/children’s teachers.

Quality partnerships require a reciprocal commitment from staff and parents to work together to improve student learning and wellbeing.

Learning is not limited to the classroom. The beliefs, expectations and experience of parents are powerful determinants in students' achievement. Effective partnerships can help to raise parents' awareness of their ability to improve their children's learning and wellbeing. Understanding the school, home and community contribution to student learning helps cultivate a holistic learning environment.

School culture Respectful relationships between the school, students, parents and the school community need to be actively cultivated and valued. Nurturing a culture that respects and values difference amongst the whole school community is vital in supporting the inclusive engagement of all families. Parent and community participation in student learning and the school community should be acknowledged and recognised. This involvement sends a clear signal to students about the value of education.

Parent Code of Conduct - Our school values positive parent/carer relationships and below you will see our Parent Code of Conduct in relation to our collaboration together.

It is important to note that if you wish to discuss your child/children’s, please contact the classroom teacher in writing via email asking to organise a suitable time. You may also contact the school, either by phone or at the Administration Office personally and arrange for a teacher to contact you to arrange a suitable meeting time.

Please note that Teachers are not usually available to respond to emails or talk with teachers during teaching time or whilst on playground duty. Teachers will usually access their emails on their rostered scheduled daily. They will aim to respond to a parent or carer as soon as practical during the school week.  Please don’t seek to discuss in detail a student’s academic progress learning expectations or behavioural issues by email. These are best addressed in person or over the phone. Use email to arrange a suitable time with the teacher to discuss these matters. When agreed between the teacher and the parent or carer (following a meeting or telephone conversation) email may be used as a form of ongoing communication.

If you still have concerns around your child/children after speaking to the classroom teacher.

Please make sure you make an appointment or send an enquiry email to the year level Deputy Principal

Prep to Year 1 - Mrs Erin Strohfeldt – emor120@eq.edu.au

Year 2 to Year 3 – Mr Jeremy Went – jwent5@eq.edu.au

Year 4 to Year 6 – Mrs Cara Middleton – cmidd40@eq.edu.au

 If you do not have your issues resolved with the teacher or the year level Deputy, please then contact the Principal

Principal – Mrs Racheal Jones – rjone233@eq.edu.au

We understand that as caring parents, you may wish to be near the school premises for various reasons, including dropping off or picking up your children, ensuring their safety, or catching up with other parents. While we appreciate your involvement and support, it's essential to highlight the potential impact of lingering on school grounds outside of designated times.

Here are a few reasons why we kindly request your cooperation in minimizing your presence on the school premises outside of official school hours:

Disruption to School Operations: The presence of a large number of parents around the school grounds can sometimes disrupt the smooth operation of our school activities. It can cause congestion in parking areas, impede the flow of traffic, and even create distractions for students and staff members.

Safety Concerns: Having numerous adults around the school grounds can pose safety concerns, especially during busy times such as arrival and dismissal. It's crucial to maintain clear pathways for students to enter and exit the school safely and having too many adults present can make this task challenging.

Supervision Responsibility: While we encourage parents to be actively involved in their children's education, it's important to note that the supervision and safety of students remain the responsibility of the school staff during school hours. Excessive parental presence can blur these boundaries and may lead to confusion among students and staff.

Privacy and Security: Maintaining a balance between accessibility and security is paramount in ensuring the well-being of everyone within our school community. Excessive parental presence can compromise the privacy and security protocols we have in place.

In light of these considerations, we kindly request your cooperation in adhering to the following guidelines:

Please refrain from lingering on the school grounds outside of designated drop-off and pick-up times.

If you need to have discussions or meetings with teachers or staff members, please schedule appointments in advance to ensure that adequate time and resources are available.

When dropping off or picking up your children, please do so promptly and move your vehicle away from the immediate vicinity of the school to allow for smooth traffic flow.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can work together to create a safer and more conducive learning environment for all students at [School Name]. Your understanding and cooperation in this matter are greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this issue, please don't hesitate to reach out to the school administration. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education.

Until next time,

QPARENTS

Do you know how amazing the QParents App is? Stay Connected and setup your account now !!

SCHOOL PHOTO DAY

Across the Desk of the Guidance Officer

HOSES NEWS

NAPLAN

Students in Years 3 and 5 will participate in NAPLAN assessment starting next week. Adjustments are provided to students with disability to support access to the tests and encourage maximum participation. I have started reaching out to parents of students supported by our inclusion team to discuss adjustments. Please respond to communications so that we can ensure necessary adjustments are organised. If you have not yet heard from me, please contact me via email.

MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS AND INFORMATION

Please keep the school informed about upcoming appointments or changes in medication. If given enough notice, the school team can provide updated information to support you at appointments.

Also keep in mind that teachers require appropriate time to complete questionnaires from external specialists/therapists. We ask that you inform medical or therapeutic teams that there will be a two-week turnaround for these forms.

Stay safe and well!

Linda Leegwater
Head of Special Education Services
lleeg1@eq.edu.au

CHESS NEWS

After School Chess

Chess Club is Back!

Starting Week 3, Chess Club will be running every Thursday at 1st break in the library. Open to students in Year 2 and above, this is a great opportunity to learn new strategies, challenge friends, and have fun! We look forward to seeing our young chess masters there!

SPORTING NEWS

Regards,
Dave Johnson
HPE Teacher

OSHC NEWS

Have a great week 😊

Regards
OSHC Team

P&C NEWS

CANTEEN

Please be aware that the Canteen will closed Monday 10 March, 2025 for re-stocking after the oncoming weather event.

Jessica Watson
GASS P&C President

COMMUNITY NEWS