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Edition 51

Principal's Message

Planning for 2025

As I mentioned in our last newsletter, planning for 2025 is well underway. Currently, we have 602 students enrolled and we are expecting at least another 4 students to start during this term.

At present, we have 155 Prep students expected to commence at the beginning of 2025! Our 2025 enrolments are expected to be between 720 and 750 students.

As you can appreciate, a great deal of planning is required when forming our classes. To assist us with planning for the number of classes needed in 2025, please contact administration as soon as possible if your child/ren will not be returning in 2025.

Additionally, if you are aware of family or friends who are yet to enrol for 2025, please request they contact administration as soon as possible.

Toys at school

There is an increasing number of students who are bringing toys to school. This often creates problems in the classroom and/or playground if a toy is lost, broken or taken by another student. Toys are not to be brought to school other than for a speaking or sharing activity in which your child’s teacher has communicated. In this case, teachers will ensure the safe keeping of personal toys in the classroom. Please remind your child to keep their toys at home for safe keeping.

Hats and play time

On Monday, I was extremely proud of our Year 4 students who attended an excursion to St Helena Island, as every child had their school hat! We have a no hat, no play policy at Everleigh State School. This is for several reasons:

Our school hat is part of our school uniform
It assists students in developing a sense of responsibility ensuring their hat is packed every day
Wearing a school hat ensures students can fully participate in Physical Education lessons when outdoors
Promotes suns safety

Any student who is not wearing a hat, will be directed to remain seated in their appropriate eating area. Students must wear hats if accessing the Resource Centre or the Hall (in the event of extreme weather). I encourage you to support your child in being Accountable in being organised for their school day.

Annual Parent Information - 2025 Student Resource Scheme

How the scheme operates and the annual participation fee

The Queensland Government supports students’ education by providing funding for:

Instruction, e.g., teachers
Facilities, e.g., buildings, amenities, furniture
Administration, e.g., staffing and resources to administer the operations of the school.

Funding does not extend to individual student resources such as textbooks, equipment for personal use, and items used/consumed by the student in the classroom. Supply of these items is the responsibility of parents.

To provide parents with a cost-effective alternative to purchasing stationery and/or resources elsewhere, Everleigh State School operates an SRS for 2025.

The scheme ensures that students have the resources required for them to engage with the curriculum for their education and saves parents time and money in sourcing the prescribed materials elsewhere. Savings are gained through the school’s bulk purchasing practices and hiring arrangements. The scheme is not used to raise funds for other purposes, and revenue collected through the scheme is applied only to the resources and operation of the scheme. The financial impact on parents and whether the school can absorb any of the cost has been considered before determining the SRS fee.

The scheme’s operation, resource inclusions and participation fees were approved by the school’s P&C Association at the meeting held on Monday 14^th October 2024.

SRS Participation

The objective of the scheme is to provide a convenient and cost-effective way for students to access the educational resources necessary to enhance their learning experience at school. The Department encourages parents to participate in the scheme. Participation in the SRS is optional, and no obligation is placed on a parent to participate. Participation is for the duration of your child’s enrolment at the school.

Student is new to the school.….

Parents are required to complete and return the SRS Participation Agreement Form when joining the scheme for the first time. If no participation form is received at the time of enrolment, the school will take the view that the parent has chosen to opt out of the SRS. The parent is then required to provide the educational resources listed in the SRS for their child by the start of the school year. A parent can opt in or out of the scheme in subsequent years by completing another Participation Agreement Form.

Continuing student of the school…..

A parent’s participation or non-participation in the scheme will continue as per their previously completed Participation Agreement Form. A parent can opt in or out of the scheme in subsequent years by completing another Participation Agreement Form.

If a parent has opted out of the scheme the parent is required to provide the educational resources listed in the SRS for their child by the start of the school year.

The Participation Agreement Form can be obtained from Administration.

More detailed information about the SRS can be found on the Department’s website: (https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/pp/student-resource-scheme-srs-procedure).

Resource Inclusions

All resources included in the SRS are detailed below in the SRS Resource list. This list is also available on the school’s website. This is a comprehensive list of all resources included in the scheme and their associated costs.

Parents must inform the school if items on the list of resources are not received by their child when resources are distributed.

Type of Resources provided

Generally, the three types of resources that could be included are:

Owned – these items are retained by the student and used as required (e.g. stationery, exercise books, student diary).
Used – these items are used/consumed in class by the student (e.g. industry technology/cooking/art supplies).
- work/items produced from these resources will remain the property of the student.
Hired – these items are hired to the student for their personal use for a specific period of time (e.g. textbooks, musical instruments, laptops).
- Hired items must be returned to the school in good condition at the end of the hire period or if the student leaves the school.
- A repair or replacement cost may be charged to the parent for any hired items that are damaged or not returned.

Costing Methodology

The schools SRS fee is calculated based on:

A flat fee for all students in the school, OR
A flat fee for a cohort group of students (e.g. a year level), OR
A general fee for all students or a cohort group plus additional fees for individual subject inclusions.

Please refer to the SRS Resource list for the associated costings.

The 2025 SRS Participation Fee

The SRS fee payable for the 2025 school year is as follows and an itemised list is published on the school’s website. https://everleighss.eq.edu.au/support-and-resources/forms-and-documents/documents

Prep - $165.00

Year 1 - $163.00

Year 2 - $160.00

Year 3 - $136.00

Year 4- $123.00

Year 5 - $131.00

Year 6 - $122.00

SRS Digital Device Component (Years 2-6)

Option 1 – BYO iPad (students bring their compatible iPad as per specifications listed on annual SRS information

Option 2 – Hire Fee $130 (iPad, screen protector & case)

Financial Hardship

Parents experiencing financial hardship who are currently participating or wish to participate in the SRS should contact the school to discuss available options in confidence.

Payment Arrangement

Several payment options including a single payment for the full year’s fee or term instalments are available. An instalment plan can also be negotiated with the school.

Any unpaid invoices will be managed according to the department’s Debt Management Procedure. Only as a last resort, a Principal may use discretion to exclude a student from optional, non-curricular activities where a parent has an outstanding debt with the school. (https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/pp/debt-management-procedure).

Payment Method

SRS payments can be made by QParent/BPOINT, BPAY, EFTPOS (Credit/Debit Card), Centrepay.

Payment may be made through the QParents portal using a credit card. Payment will be directed from the QParents portal to BPOINT where relevant outstanding invoice information may be selected.
When paying by BPOINT, please use the Customer Reference Number (CRN) and invoice number printed on the invoice received from the school. If unsure of the CRN, please contact the school.
Centrepay Deductions are available to pay the SRS fees. Use Centrepay to make regular deductions from your Centrelink payment. Centrepay is a voluntary and easy payment option available to Centrelink customers. Go to gov.au/centrepay for more information on how to set up your Centrepay deductions.

Contact Us

For all queries regarding the SRS and its inclusions, please contact Administration on 07 2899 5111 or email Admin@everleighss.eq.edu.au

Message From The Head Of Department - Curriculum, Ms. Tanya Conway

Exciting Updates to the V9 Australian Curriculum at Everleigh State School in 2025

We’re excited to share the improvements in the V9 Australian Curriculum, which has been thoughtfully updated to better support students’ learning. These changes focus on what’s most important, ensuring that students build the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in today’s world.

One of the key updates in the V9 curriculum is a reduction in the number of topics across several subjects. This allows students to spend more time understanding core ideas, helping them develop a deeper understanding of important concepts. By focusing on the most essential content, students are better equipped to succeed both in school and in their future learning.

The curriculum has also been refined to make learning more relevant to the world students live in. For example, there is an increased emphasis on digital skills and critical thinking, which are vital in today’s technology-driven society. These skills are built into everyday learning, so students naturally develop them as part of their regular school experience.

One of the most exciting changes is how the curriculum brings different subjects together. Important themes like sustainability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, and Australia’s engagement with Asia are included across a range of subjects. This helps students make connections between what they’re learning in different areas, giving them a broader understanding of the world and how different topics relate to each other.

The V9 curriculum also places a stronger focus on developing critical life skills like problem-solving, creativity, and independent thinking. These abilities are essential for success in today’s world, helping students become confident, capable learners. With more opportunities for hands-on, practical learning, students are encouraged to apply their knowledge in real-world situations, making their learning more meaningful and engaging.

The updated V9 Australian Curriculum is an exciting step forward in helping students achieve their best. With a stronger focus on essential skills, real-world relevance, and a more connected approach to learning, the new curriculum ensures that students are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

The Everleigh State School team would like to reassure families there is no need for concern about the V9 curriculum updates. These improvements are designed to enhance your child’s learning experience, and we will be keeping you informed with all key details throughout next year. If you have any questions along the way, our wonderful staff are always here to assist.

We’re looking forward to seeing the positive impact these changes will have on our students’ education!

Message From The Guidance Officer - Mrs Mel Bashford

Mental Health Week

Last week was Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW), an annual awareness week that aims to shine a spotlight on individual and community mental health and wellbeing. QMHW encourages all of us to think about our mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether we may have a lived experience of mental illness or not. The week also gives us the opportunity to understand the importance of mental health in our everyday lives and encourages help seeking behaviours when needed. Please see the brochure below, for some ideas about how we can look after our mental health, as well as some numbers to call when you are struggling.

To celebrate QMHW, wellbeing activities to encourage movement, were held in the hall before school. Thanks to those wonderful staff members who took time out of their busy schedule, to lead the activities. In addition to this, I will be hosting some mindfulness sand art activities one day a week, for the rest of the term. Students will be given more detail about this, through their teachers. I would like to acknowledge Queensland Guidance and Counselling Association, for their generous donation of $150, towards these activities.

Messages From The Executive Services

Student Absence Procedure

Attendance data for Term 3 2024 will be extracted by Central Office on Friday 25^th October. It is important that any outstanding unexplained absences are updated.

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:

Via the Q-Parents App – please see reception if you require information on this.
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.

Year 6 Students Leaving:

We will be sad to say farewell to our wonderful year 6 cohort at the end of this term. Families should have received a leaving form to complete and return to the office. We kindly ask that you return them as soon as possible so we can enter their new school details into the system, ready for us to depart them at the end of term. If you have not received one, please contact the office.

Spare change of clothes reminder

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.

Now that the cooler weather is abating, all previously unclaimed and unnamed school jackets are being given to our guidance officer to distribute to families in need.

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

Please note, we have had an unclaimed scooter in the bike shed since the school holidays. If this belongs to you, please ensure you collect it and take it home. See photo attached.