Edition 45

Principal's Message

Welcome back to Term 3 and a new semester at Everleigh State School.

Staffing Changes

Teaching Staff

This semester brings a number of staffing changes. As our school continues to attract new enrolments, our class sizes also increase, particularly in Year 3. This has resulted in the decision to create a 25^th class, a Year 3/4 composite class. This decision has not been made lightly, as it means some students in our current Year 3 and Year 4 classes will be moved into our new class, 3/4C. Families in 3A, 3B, 4A and 4B were informed on Tuesday of this decision after we were able to finalise staffing.

I am pleased to welcome Ms Breahanan Wheatley (no relation) to the Everleigh State School family. Ms Wheatley is an experienced teacher from NSW who has recently relocated to the local area. Ms Wheatley commenced at Everleigh State School this week to assist her in getting to know the students who will be joining her from Monday.

In addition to this change, we also welcome Ms Rachael Gibson who is replacing Mrs Chelsea Maxwell for the remainder of the year. Mrs Maxwell, who is currently on maternity leave, welcomed a healthy baby late last term.

In other staffing news, we sadly farewell Ms Ashleigh Beckett-Mathews who has been successful in gaining a position at another school for the remainder of this year.  Ms Beckett-Mathews’ appointment at Bellbird Park State School was only confirmed on the last day of last term. Again, as soon as staffing was confirmed, 4A families were informed.

From Monday, 4A will be taught by Ms Nina Van on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Ms Van has worked at Everleigh State School previously as a relief teacher and short-term contracts. She is looking forward to returning to Everleigh State School this term.  Teaching 4A on Wednesday will be Mrs Kaitlyn Brown. Mrs Brown is another teacher who has recently moved into the local area from NSW.

As a result of the creation of another class, additional Specialist teacher time is also required. To fill this role 2 days a week (Tuesday and Wednesday), we welcome Mrs Kerryn Whittaker.

Non-Teaching Staff

We also welcome a number of other new staff members to our growing school community.

Mr Anthony Elliott who was successful in a recruitment process to appoint a permanent Schools Officer to Everleigh State School. We welcome Mr Elliott.

Mrs Kylie McIntyre has joined Mrs Carol Rice and Mrs Marina Sellwood in our front office. Mrs McIntyre’s face may be familiar, as she has also worked as a teacher aide across our school this year. Mrs McIntyre is a welcome addition to our increasingly busy administration.

Ms Jacqueline Greig joins our amazing team of Teacher Aides. Ms Greig brings a wealth of experience to Everleigh State School.

I am sure all of our staff, students and families will make all of our new staff members feel welcome.

Safety in and around our school carparks and roads

I again request that the speed limit of 40 km/h is adhered to as required along Ivory Parkway and Anderson Drive. It is also incredibly important to drive slowly and with care in our main carpark and Platypus pick up zone.

I sadly received the following email from one of our parents on Monday afternoon. I was horrified and disappointed to read that little regard for road safety was taken in regard to local wildlife. Thankfully in this case, it was not a child. 

I am writing to inform you about an incident that occurred on Ivory Parkway at approximately 2:40 PM today 08/07/2024, which has raised some serious concerns regarding the safety and behaviour of drivers in the vicinity of Everleigh State School.

While my daughter and I were walking near the school, we noticed two kangaroos playing close by. We assumed they were a mother and her child. To our dismay, shortly after we spotted them, the younger kangaroo was struck by an oncoming car as it hopped across the road. The mother kangaroo managed to escape unharmed. There were a few other children present who witnessed this distressing event.

What followed was even more shocking. After the first car hit the baby kangaroo, leaving it alive but injured, a second car, which had slowed down and possibly stopped, chose to run over the animal deliberately, crushing it under its wheels. This act seemed intentional, especially considering the car had the option to manoeuvre around the helpless creature. The driver then proceeded to drive off without any regard for the presence of children or the distressing scene they had caused.

I am deeply concerned for a few reasons:

1. The first car may have been traveling at an unsafe speed for a school zone, particularly during the pickup period. This incident could have been avoided if the driver had been more cautious. If it had been a child on the road instead of a kangaroo, would the driver have reacted differently? This raises significant concerns about the driver’s awareness and consideration for pedestrian safety.

1. The behaviour of the second driver, who intentionally ran over the injured kangaroo, is troubling.

Having to explain this traumatic event to my 7-year-old daughter, who had never witnessed anything like this before, was extremely difficult. The actions of the drivers not only endangered wildlife but also had a profound impact on the children who witnessed the incident.

I would like to commend the compassionate parent who stopped his car, gently moved the injured kangaroo to the side of the road, and stayed with it for some time, providing a small measure of comfort in an otherwise distressing situation.

It is the responsibility of all parents/carers to drive safely in and around our school to ensure the safety of our children.

I will be meeting with our local councillor and Department of Main Roads in the coming weeks to discuss traffic issues around the school.

Deputy Principals' Message

CARE Cup

Congratulations to Dharbil for winning the CARE Cup throughout Term 2. This is for having the highest number of CARE Credits earned throughout the term. Overall, Dharbil collected 9375 CARE Credits, 100 more than Yarga in second. Beek earned 8800 and Chagun earned 9250. Congratulations to all houses. Scores are reset for the Term 3 CARE Cup Winner and all houses will once again start from 0.

However, we do keep a running tally of the overall count for the year. Currently, the total CARE Credit count stands at:

Beek: 17175

Chagun: 16625

Dharbil: 17050

Yarga: 18000

A total of 68850 CARE Credits have so far been handed out to students throughout 2024. Well done to our students who are meeting Everleigh’s Expectations of Excellence.

Message From The Head Of Special Education Services, Mrs Rhiannon Kemp

Building a Strong Foundation

As we embark on another exciting Term, establishing consistent back-to-school routines is essential for your child’s success and well-being. Routines provide children with a sense of security and stability, helping them to feel prepared and confident in their daily activities. By setting regular bedtimes, designated homework times, and morning rituals, we create an environment that fosters learning and growth. These habits not only enhance academic performance but also support emotional and physical health, setting the stage for a positive school experience.

Celebrating Diversity During NAIDOC Week

This week, we proudly celebrate NAIDOC Week, an annual event that honours the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and NAIDOC Week provides an invaluable opportunity for our students to learn about and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of the First Nations peoples. Through various activities and discussions, we aim to instil a sense of respect and understanding, fostering a school community where every student feels valued and included.

Exciting Changes: AMAZE Play Space Relocation

We are thrilled to announce the relocation of AMAZE, our beloved supported play space, to make way for an additional class. This transition will allow us to continue to accommodate our students in providing top-quality social/emotional support. Rest assured, our dedicated staff will support students throughout this change, ensuring they become familiar with the new space and feel comfortable. The same rules and expectations will apply, maintaining a consistent and structured environment.

Smooth Transitions to New Classes

We understand that new classes and transitions can be daunting for students. To ease this process, we have been working closely with both students and staff to ensure a smooth and positive experience. This week, students have had the opportunity to meet their new teachers and participate in activities with Year 3 and 4 students. These interactions are designed to build rapport and create a sense of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming year.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we navigate these changes together. Here's to a fantastic Term 3, filled with learning, growth, and celebration!

PBL Focus Week 10 Term 2 & Week 1 Term 3 - Respect

Messages From Executive Services

Student Absence Procedure

If your student will be absent, parents/carers have a legal obligation to notify the school office, including advising the reason for the absence. We kindly request you let us know by 9am on the day of the absence. We have two preferred methods for advising absence:

1. Via the Q-Parents App – please see reception if you require information on this.
2. Via our dedicated Student Absence Line – (07) 2899 5160, where you can leave a message any time of the day or night. Please save this number in your phone.

Reminder: You will also need to advise YMCA if your child is booked in and will be absent.

YMCA absences should be advised before 2:15pm via email aev@ymcabrisbane.org or via text or phone call 0459 905 087.

Don’t forget to also cancel your canteen order if you have pre-ordered ahead: (07) 2899 5125

Change of contact details:

Please advise Executive Services if any of your details have changed. For example:

• Address
• Best contact phone number
• Work details
• Emergency contacts other than parents/carers

Please pop into the office to complete a change of details form, or email admin@everleighss.eq.edu.au to update your details.

Spare change of clothes reminder

With the recent cold weather, we have noticed an increase in toileting accidents. Please ensure you pack a spare change of clothes in your child’s bag just in case. Please include underwear, black shorts/skort and socks.

Lost property

Name labels make all the difference in helping us to returned lost items to the correct students. We kindly remind parents to name jackets, hats, lunch boxes, water bottles, etc. We really appreciate your assistance with this. Any item that is labelled gets returned directly to the classroom.

All unclaimed, unnamed items are disposed of or donated at the end of each term.

P.E. Message From Ms Beck - SAVE THE DATE! Friday 19th July, 2024 - JUNIOR SPORTS DAY!

Everleigh SS - Canteen Messages

Please note that cut off times for ALL orders is 9.00 am. The canteen regularly receives phone calls from parents as late as 10.30 am expecting an order to be made for their child.  

ORDERS RECEIVED AFTER 9.00 AM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Later orders impact staff’s ability to serve all students their orders on time. 

UMS Uniform Shop News

Message From YMCA Everleigh OSHC

Contact Details:

Email: aev@ymcaqueensland.org.au

Phone number: 0459 905 087

Vacation care:

Vacation care was a huge hit! The program consisted of a lot of fun and engaging activities which allowed the children to learn and develop life skills. Our excursion to the Beenleigh Historical Museum consisted of really interesting shows show casing life in the olden days! Children got to go to an olden day school, learnt how they used to milk cows, participated in washing clothes, and they saw how printing was done. Our trip to the cinemas to watch Inside Out 2 was also successful. Children enjoyed the movies with popcorn, poppers, and chocolate. The incursion from Bully Busters was also very interesting. They taught the children extremely important life skills such as what to do in risky situations such as abductions. Vacation care also consisted of other fun activities that got the children involved in cooking, crazy hair day, pyjama day, laser tag, build a fort day, and our very own YMCA talent show! 

If you have any ideas of activities you would like to see in vacation care in the future, feel free to send them forward to us.

BOOKINGS AND CANCELLATIONS

Bookings, cancellations and any changes in booking requirements are essential and must be in writing via the enrolment form, change of booking slip (located at each service), email, text message or My Family Lounge. This is a requirement in order to comply with Child Care Subsidy (CCS) Regulations. Casual bookings will only be available where and when vacancies occur. If you cancel a casual booked session, the casual fee rate will still be charged for the session. Advice of a term time booking cancellation must be received at the service by Friday 6.00pm of the week prior.

Accounts:

“NO PAY NO PLAY” will be enforced. Families are required to keep their account up to date at all times. Outstanding accounts may have their accounts suspended and bookings removed.

Donations!!

Your donation could be the source of a child's laughter, imagination, and sense of belonging. Any pre-loved toys or resources would be appreciated.

Any broken or damaged items cannot be accepted.

Queensland Police Service Logan - Crime and Community Safety Survey

The Queensland Police Service are interested to hear about how Logan residents view issues in their community, and whether there are any ways we might be able to better address their concerns.  

We are implementing a crime and community safety survey to help us better understand what crime and safety issues are of most concern to community and how we can work together to keep community safe.  

We are seeking support in disseminating the survey to members of community to ensure all voices are represented.  

We would greatly appreciate it if you could assist by sharing survey recruitment materials across your communication channels.  

To share the survey across your network you may like to: 

• Share the myPolice Logan blog post on your social media channels: mypolice Logan Facebook Community Survey
• Share the direct link to the survey online Logan Community Survey or the myPolice website blog  Logan Crime and Community Safety Survey - Logan (mypolice.qld.gov.au)
• Place the attached flyer in your office or community space.  

The survey is open to complete until the 14^th July, 2024.

Springfield Rugby 7's Primary Gala Day