Edition 55

Principal's Message

Welcome to the 2025 school year!  It was wonderful to all of our returning families and the large number of new families who have joined our growing Everleigh family this year.

To date, we have over 700 students and counting. I am anticipating our ‘effective’ (the number of students we are resourced for) to around 750. This number is confirmed on ‘Day 8’ of the school year.  Our effective enrolments, or the number of students we are able to count, dictates the number of teaching staff, including specialist and inclusion teachers, teacher aide hours and the amount of financial funding we will receive for the 2025 school year.

I will provide an update on this once we receive confirmation in a few weeks.

B Block

It was very exciting to be able to welcome our Year 3 to Year 6 students and their families into our new B Block on Tuesday. This has been a long-awaited resource to support our growing school. Within this block we have:

• 20 classrooms
• Kitchen and ‘kitchen garden’ with seating
• Bush Tucker Garden – still under construction
• Yarning Circle
• Open green play area – still under construction
• Tiered sandstone seating/steps to join Oval to Stage 2 green space – still under construction
• NEW pedestrian access gate

It is expected that all areas under construction will be completed and handed over to the school by the beginning of Term 2 at the latest. While our summer was not as wet as 2023/2024, the periods of rain we did experience have delayed the completion of the outstanding external works.

Carparking, Drop off and Pick up zones – Kangaroo (Ivory Parkway)

Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students and older students with siblings in Prep, Year 1 or Year 2 are expected to use Kangaroo zone. Families of any students who require carparking facilities (prams, wheelchairs, etc) may access the Kangaroo carpark.

PLEASE NOTE: there should only be a SINGLE LANE of traffic entering the carpark.  Please be courteous and respectful of other drivers and our children when entering the carpark or Stop, Drop and Go lanes.

Please refer to the map below on appropriate use of the Kangaroo Parking Zone.

Carparking, Drop off and Pick up zones – Platypus (Ivory Parkway)

Students from Year 3 to Year 6 are expected to use Platypus for drop off and pick up. Please note, that this is NOT a carpark. Drivers must remain in the car.

Parents/Carers who wish to walk their Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 or Year 6 student into or out of the school and part along Anderson Drive must use the new Platypus Pedestrian Gate.

When parking along Anderson Drive, please adhere to road rules and refrain from parking on marked yellow lines.

***PLEASE NOTE THAT PLATYPUS PEDESTRIAN GATE WILL NOT BE ACCESSIBLE DURING WEEK 2 TO ALLOW FOR REMAINING WORKS TO BE COMPLETED***

For week 2 ONLY, pedestrian access is permitted at the Staff carpark entrance to the Platypus pick up/drop off footpath.

ONCE PLATYPUS PEDESTRIAN IS OPEN, IT IS AN EXPECTATION THAT ALL FOOT TRAFFIC ALONG ANDERSON DRIVE IS USED. Staff will redirect any pedestrians back to Platypus Pedestrian.  Please review attached map for details.

Parent/Carer afternoon waiting areas

Last Friday, I sent an email out containing a map of designated parent waiting areas for both A and B Blocks. It is important that parents/carers refrain from waiting outside of classrooms, as it is a distraction to the students, particularly our Prep students.  It also creates a ‘bottle neck’ and potential hazard in the event we have to evacuate. Please respectfully adhere to these instructions and follow the directions of staff if you are asked to move away from the classrooms.  Staff have been given permission to politely request parents/carers who are not in the correct areas to move away.

Before school, parents/carers are more than welcome to wait outside of ground floor classrooms until the music starts at around 8.25 am.  At this time, it is important that parents/carers say their quick farewells and allow teaching and learning to commence at 8.30 am. There is no reason for parents/carers to walk students to first floor classrooms unless for a pre-arranged meeting or support plan in place.

A reminder that all playgrounds and play equipment are out of bounds before and after school.

School Uniform

It was pleasing to see most students in full school uniform this week.  I would like to remind parents/carers that our uniform consists of:

• Polo Shirt
• School shorts/skorts
• White socks
• Black shoes – shoes should be completely black
• Sports Shirt can be worn on Friday

It is expectation that all students wear the appropriate full school uniform every day.  When buying shoes, please ensure they are plain black.  Having purchased new school shoes for my son, buying plain black shoes is very easy.  All shoe, sports and department stores sell plain black shoes.

Canteen

Our canteen uses Munch Monitor for all online orders. As our canteen is cashless, children are unable to bring money to buy snacks or place orders. A snack account can be set up in Munch Monitor.

Information on how to set up an account for your child is available on our website. https://everleighss.eq.edu.au/facilities/canteen

The canteen is open from 8.00 am for over-the-counter orders (EFTPOS only).  All orders MUST BE placed by 9.00 am.

Medically vulnerable students

At present, we have a few students who have returned to school after serious medical conditions late last year.

Please refer to the attached Time Out Poster in regards to both those illnesses which have exclusion periods or the school must be notified of.

Every day counts!

It is important that students attend every school day for the whole school day where possible.  Arriving on time is also important, as it reduces any anxiety students may feel walking into the classroom after every one else has arrived.

If your child is absent from school, it is a departmental and school expectation that his/her absence is explained.  Any unexplained absences will result in follow up via text messages, notes home or a phone call from a member of the Executive team.

Continued unexplained, continuous, or patterns of absences may result in a formal enforcement of attendance process commencing.

If you require support in getting your child to school, please contact the school and we can assist you. Visit https://education.qld.gov.au/parents-and-carers/enrolment/choosing-a-school/attendance for more information on the importance of regular school attendance.

Message From The Executive Services

Important information regarding school attendance

Parent’s responsibilities – it is the parent or carer’s responsibility to ensure the following:

• ensure their child arrives at school on time and attends their educational program every school day
• provide their current contact details to the school to enable effective notification
• contact the school either before or on the day of an absence, or as soon as practicable, in accordance with the school's communication processes and provide an explanation for each absence
• notify the school if their child will be arriving late or leaving early
• ensure their child follows the school’s processes and procedures for late arrival and early departure.

Late arrivals – it is expected that students arrive before class begins at 8:30am. Once the school gates are closed (approx 8:45am) students arriving late should be escorted into school via the office by a parent or carer who must give a reason for the late arrival.

Where late arrivals are persistent and regular, principals should discuss the situation with the parent to determine if additional supports and/or strategies are required to strengthen engagement and improve attendance.

Early departures – it is expected that students remain at school for the length of the school day. Parents are encouraged to ensure their child misses as little school as possible.

Early departures should only be requested for reasons deemed reasonable. Routine appointments such as doctor or dentist should be made for outside school hours.

Early departures should be advised ahead of time, so as to ensure minimal interruption to class learning. (Please do not pre-advise an early departure via the QParents app as this causes a system glitch) Please phone the school office to request an early departure if necessary.

As classroom areas are out-of-bounds during lunch breaks, early departures during breaks that are not advised ahead of time will need to wait until the end of the break when students are permitted to access and collect their school bags.

Absences – school absenteeism and truancy can impact significantly on students' learning and wellbeing. Research shows that in Queensland, higher student attendance is associated, on average, with higher student achievement. Additionally, attending school every day helps children to build social and emotional skills such as communication, teamwork and resilience.

Under the law, you must make sure your child attends school on all school days unless there is a reasonable excuse. Schools must monitor attendance of students and follow up with parents and caregivers any unexplained absences.

It is expected that the school is notified of a student absence before 9am on the day of the absence, where possible. Our preferred method is via the QParents app. Please contact the office if you require assistance to set up the QParents app. Alternatively you may phone the Student Absence Line on    (07) 2899 5160, where you may leave a message anytime of the day or night.

Absence for Family reasons – When the student is absent due to family circumstances beyond the influence of the student. Parents should be encouraged to ensure their child misses as little school as possible. Where these absences are persistent and regular, principals should discuss the situation with the parent and/or student to determine if additional supports and/or strategies are required to strengthen engagement and improve attendance.

• Moving house
• Transport issues
• Family member is ill or in hospital

Absence for Holiday - Holidays during the school term are discouraged. If the absence is for more than 10 consecutive days, an application for exemption form should be completed.

Unauthorised absences – When an excuse given for a student absence is deemed as unreasonable by the principal it will be recorded as an unauthorized absence. This includes:

• Leisure activities
• Shopping
• Visiting friends and relatives
• Celebrating birthdays
• Fishing
• Truancy
• Any other reason for absence that the principal does not consider to be reasonable

Where absences are persistent and regular, principals should discuss the situation with the parent to determine if additional supports and/or strategies are required to strengthen engagement and improve attendance.

References:

https://education.qld.gov.au/initiatives-and-strategies/initiatives/every-day-counts/for-parents-and-community

https://education.qld.gov.au/parents-and-carers/enrolment/choosing-a-school/attendance

https://ppr.qed.qld.gov.au/attachment/table-2-absence-reason-codes-for-reasonable-and-unreasonable-excuses.docx

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

Please ensure you have a spare change of clothes in your child’s bag in case of accidents. 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 previously unclaimed and unnamed school jackets have been given to our guidance officer to distribute to families in need. If you believe you have lost an unnamed jacket, please advise as soon as possible.

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

Please see attached photo of current lost property item.

Q Parents

We remind all parents and carers to set up their Q Parents app. This app is our preferred option and is a one-stop location to check on your account or pay invoices, as well as to report absences and view report cards. It is quick and easy to use. The app will follow your child to any state school all the way through, including to high school. If you require any assistance to set this up, please contact executive services.

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

Information on Speech and Language Development

PBL Focus Weeks 1 & 2 - "Encouragement" From The PBL Team

Music Notes With Mrs Chivers

Welcome to 2025 at Everleigh State School.

We have a jam packed year in the Arts coming up.

I will be continuing in my role as music teacher and Mrs Lettica Welsh has joined the arts team and will be teaching drama this year.

Mr Evan Jenkins will be taking over the instrumental music program.

In Semester 1 students in Prep, Years 1 and 2 and Years 3 and 6 will be having music lesson with me. Students in Years 4 and 5 will be doing drama with Mrs Welsh.

Choir for students in Year 3 to 6 will begin in week 2 on Wednesday at second break. We will be learning some new repertoire as well as beginning to learn some of the songs from our upcoming musical.

From Term 2, students in Years 3 to 6 will have the opportunity to be a part of our inaugural school musical, QUEST: a tale of enchantment.

We will be looking for some enthusiastic performers to take on the lead and minor roles, as well as students for the chorus.

If you have an interest in helping, we will be on the lookout for parents to help with rehearsals, costumes, sets and props. Keep an eye out for information towards the end of term.

Just remember:

“Music is the best solution to any problem!”

Amanda Chivers

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