2024 - Term 1, Week 2 Newsletter

Term 1 Calendar

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the 2024 school year. This term is ten weeks in length and concludes on Thursday 28 March. This year promises to be another very successful and enjoyable year at Buderim Mountain State School judging by the enthusiasm displayed by our returning and new students.

We have enrolled many new students across all year levels over the past couple of weeks. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new families and look forward to meeting you over time. Please let us know if you require any assistance in your transition to our school. We are beginning the school year with approximately 1110 students from P-6. 

Our school day officially starts at 8:45am and finishes at 3:00pm.  As there is limited supervision for students before school, we ask parents to drop children off as close to 8:30 as possible.  Our P&C operate an excellent Out of School Hours Care program from 6:00am each day for any families who need to drop their children at school before 8 am. Students should not arrive at school prior to 8am unsupervised.

In terms of new staff, in 2024 we welcome the following new teachers who have transferred to our school:

I’m sure our Buderim community will join me in welcoming our new staff members in 2024.

As most existing families would be aware, our final allocation of teaching staff occurs on Day 8 (Thursday, 1 February) which is an annual process that takes place in all Queensland public schools. The final allocation of teachers is based on the number of students enrolled by Day 8 and we can confirm that all classes will now stay in place for the year with no changes needed.

For the benefit of our entire school community, the following leadership team members have responsibility for the following year levels:

• Mr Readshaw (Deputy Principal)                                                      Prep and Year 1
• Ms Goodman (Deputy Principal – Tuesday to Friday)             Years 2 and 3
• Mrs Scheltinga (A/Deputy Principal)                                               Year 4
• Mr Allan (Deputy Principal)                                                                 Years 5 and 6
• Ms Bierton (Head of Support Services)                                           Prep to Year 6

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s education, could I ask you to see your child’s teacher in the first instance. If you still require assistance, then by all means make an appointment to see the appropriate leadership team member above.

This year, all students will continue to access specialist lessons on a weekly basis including Health & Physical Education, Performing Arts (Drama & Dance), Music and Japanese (Year 5 and 6). Specialist teachers in 2024 include:

• Japanese                     Mr Starr-Thomas
• Music                           Mr Jackson
• Performing Arts     Mrs McConnel
• Health & PE              Mr Hawes (Yr 2, 3, 5 & 6)                                                                                                                                                              Mr Starr-Thomas (Yr 4)                                                                                                                                                             Ms Hemmingway (Prep & Yr 1)

I hope all of our families have an enjoyable school year and I thank our parents for being organised by ensuring our students are in full school uniform (including plain black shoes) and are well-prepared for their learning with schoolbooks and stationery. The standard of uniform has been excellent thanks to the assistance from parents and students. A copy of the uniform policy is below for your information.

Staff Farewell

Congratulations to Ms Carmel Rowe who has recently retired from Buderim Mountain State School after many years of teaching. Ms Rowe began teaching at Burnside State School in 1981 and over the past 43 years also taught at Taroom State School, Conondale State School, Eagle Junction State School, Mooloolaba State School, Bargara State School, Branyan Road State School, Kolan South State School and Buderim Mountain State School from 2014.

A big thank you must go to Mrs Rowe for her commitment to each of the hundreds of students she taught throughout her career. Mrs Rowe was very focussed on each of her students reaching their full potential and having plenty of jokes with her students along the way. We wish Mrs Rowe all the best in retirement with lots of time to do the things that she loves.

Sun Safety in School Procedure

The Department of Education has recently updated its Sun Safety Policy, and now requires all schools to provide sunscreen for students. Each classroom will have a bottle of sunscreen, and our Teachers will encourage students to apply the sunscreen prior to all outdoor activities.  It is hoped the sunscreen will arrive within the next week.

If your child is unable to use generic sunscreen, please email your child’s teacher and provide your child with their own sunscreen to keep in their school bag, and remind them not to apply the school-issued sunscreen.

Parent Information Sessions

At the beginning of each school year, parent information sessions are held by all classroom teachers. We encourage all parents and caregivers to attend, as this is an excellent opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and gain an understanding of how the classroom will operate for the year. The stronger the relationship is between home and school, the more success each child will have. Once again this year, all sessions will be in your child’s classroom and begin at 8 am, unless your child’s teacher has notified you of a different time. The days and dates for each year level are outlined below:

Prep                                 Monday 5 February

Year 1                              Tuesday 6 February

Year 2                              Wednesday 7 February

Year 3                               Thursday 8 February

Year 4                               Monday 12 February

Year 5                                Tuesday 13 February

Year 6                                Thursday 15 February

Composite Classes       Wednesday 14 February

Aspire+                              Friday 9 February (Aspire+ Classroom)

2024 Student Leaders

Over the last few weeks of 2023, the selection process for our 2024 Student Leadership positions was finalised.   A big thank you to all students who applied for positions, which was a challenging selection process due to the quality and calibre of our applicants. Congratulations to the following students who have been selected for 2024:

School Captains - Flossie S and Xavier S

Vice Captains - Neiva R and Will O

Student Leaders -  Flossie S, Xanthe W, Rachel R, Neiva R, Ellie K, Claudia S, Lara L, Ella D, Harper B, Harper R, Phoebe F, Charlotte S, Scarlett D, Evie B, Ceilidh McI, Ally M, Matisse A, Lilly R, Beau B, Will O, Giosue F, Kai G, Oban S, Noah C, Charlie W, Xavier S, George R, Oliver F, Ash L-B, Cooper M, Harry B, Oliver K, Kaide H, Tate A, Alexander McR, Harrison K.

Our Student Leader induction ceremony will take place on Friday 9 February in the school hall.  This event will start at 9am, with a morning tea provided by our P & C to follow.

Welcome Morning Tea

Monday 22 January saw all students return to school, and it was lovely to see so many new and returning families come to our meet and greet welcome morning tea. A huge thank you to our P&C for organising this event.

Facilities Update

Over the holidays we were again very fortunate to have a lot of facility upgrades undertaken.  Our new oval, backing on to Gloucester Road has been levelled and turfed (thanks to our grounds staff), a concrete path laid and sports equipment purchased.  The Gloucester Road oval, is being used by our Year 2 and 3 students.  There is a gate opening to Gloucester Road and parents are welcome to use this entrance for school drop off and pick ups, however, we do ask all people using this gate to close it, to ensure we are can keep our students safe.

Our P&C funded several facility projects over the holidays, including the laying of numerous stencils around our school.  These stencils are not only bright and colourful, but are designed for student use both in learning time, and during breaks.  A wonderful shade structure has also been built outside E Block, allowing for the students to eat their fruit break and undertake group work on the seating provided in the shade.  Thank you to our very generous P&C for providing these facilities for our students.

Our new school hall is progressing at great speed, and is on track to be completed by late April.  We look forward to the opening of this wonderful facility, and are sure our entire school community will benefit from it.  Again we would like to thank our P&C for their support with the building of our Hall.

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First Lego League - Northern Nationals - Gladstone

On Saturday, November 25 the ‘Circuit Crew’ students took part in the FLL Northern Nationals in Gladstone. A total of 40 teams were in attendance from all across the state and even a couple from the Northern Territory.

Across the course of the day the students’ robot (named Arty) attempted three ‘Table Runs’.  The first run of 310 points certainly took the pressure off, with a slightly better score on the second run of 315 points, which was our highest score of the day. This score allowed us to finish 6^th overall on the ‘Table Runs’, with the winner scoring 390 points.

The students presented their Innovation Project (‘Audio Spotlight’) to a panel of 3 judges and from all reports left the judges in awe of their idea, preparation and level of research. Throughout the day the students were demonstrating ‘gracious professionalism’ towards the other teams and amongst themselves.

At the end of the day the awards were handed out with the ‘Buderim Circuit Crew 23’ winning the ‘Champion’s Award’ and an invite to attend the ‘Asian Pacific Open Championships’ in Sydney, which will be held in July this year.

It was an amazing day shared with their families who transported all team members up to Gladstone the day beforehand.

During the last week of the school holidays the team came together to share their journey with our local State Member, Mr. Brent Mickelberg. Brent was impressed with what they achieved and wished them all the best for the next round in July.

Sydney, here they come!

Mr. J

School Sport:

Swimming Carnival:

What a hot couple of days we had for the swimming carnival in the last few weeks of the 2023 school year!  Where else would you want to be? Congratulations to all students in Years 3-6 who participated in the school swimming carnival and adapted very well to the hot conditions. A special thanks to the small band of senior helpers who helped with the 25m events and keeping the concrete cool underfoot for swimmers. 

It was also pleasing to see all senior students demonstrate maturity in the pool during the time given for warm up laps.  Participation by the students swimming in their events for freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and the individual medley was fantastic. Thanks needs to go to Simon and Andrew (our grounds staff) for their excellent organisation of the carnival with setting up the pool area. A big cheer goes out to the students for their behaviour and entering as many races as possible.  Buderim certainly has some very talented swimmers!

The overall results are below with Cheropin again taking out the champion house for 2023.

The following are our age champions with a tie for first in the 2013 girls.

Nambour District Selections

Please be aware that the times collected from each student for the 50m events will be compared against qualifying times for the District Swimming Trial.  Students will be notified if they will be representing Buderim Mountain State School at the Nambour District Swimming Trials early in 2024.  A maximum of two students for each swimming style and distance per age group will be selected. If your child participates in a swimming squad and received a placing ribbon at our carnival and would like to submit 100m, 200m and 400m times for various strokes, they might have a chance to participate at the district and regional trials. Mr Hawes would like them emailed to him as soon as possible. Before sending, please refer to the qualifying times (sent to parents via email) to see if your child’s time/s are close.

School Sport District Trial Changes 

Late term 4 last year, Grace B  and Ruby B qualifed to attend the Australian Physie and Dance Association (APDA)Nationals Final at ICC Sydney last week of Term 4, representing Sunshine Coast Physie & Dance.

Grace was successful in making the finals and scoring a 5th place.  Congratulations to both Grace and Ruby. 

Email Communication

Effective communication and positive relationships between parents/caregivers and school staff is a foundation of Buderim Mountain State School.  One way of reaching this level of excellence in communication and positive relationships, is by implementing suitable protocols in relation to email communication.

Our Class Teachers are busy preparing and teaching between 8:30 am and 3 pm daily, so will normally not be able to respond to emails during this time.  All teachers aim to respond to parent emails within three business days, however, this response period may depend on teacher work days (for part time teachers) or teacher absence.   Our teachers are also encouraged to only check and respond to emails between 7:30am and 5pm on weekdays, during the school term, to support their own wellbeing and family time. We appreciate your understanding with our school’s approach in relation to emails.

PERKS

The BMSS PERKS Project in Week 3 will introduce our first topic, the 5 CUPS FOR HAPPINESS, with Mrs Brennan.

Dr. William Glasser developed a concept known as Choice Theory.  Dr. Glasser believed that people make choices about their behaviour in order to meet 5 basic needs.

These 5 basic needs are like cups inside us that we choose to fill to help us feel strong, healthy and happy.  The more we are able to fill all of our cups, the happier we will be.

The 5 ‘cups’ for happiness include:

Students will discuss behaviours and choices that help to keep everyone’s cups full, as well as those behaviours and choices that might empty our cups, or the cups of others.

We encourage you to have a conversation with your child/ren about the types of behaviours and choices that both fill and empty each of the cups. In time we would be keen to see the common language used at home as well as school.

If you would like more detail about this topic, you can go to the school website https://buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au/calendar-and-news/news/the-perks-project  and watch our PERKS VIGNETTES. These will explain the 5 Cups in more detail for you.

This year our Prep students will be exploring PERKS concepts through specific "Bluey" episodes within  thier classroom each week with thier class teacher.  

Keeping our Students Safe

To assist with keeping all of our students safe, we would like to remind everyone our playground equipment is not permitted for use before or after school. The equipment requires a teacher on duty to supervise all children for safe play. We appreciate your support with following school procedures and to ensure our children are safe.

School Photos

Please be aware that school photos will be held on Thursday 7 March. Order forms will be sent home closer to the date. All students will need to be in full school uniform (not sporting house uniforms) on this day.

Curriculum Corner

Curriculum Corner

This section of the fortnightly newsletter will entail information and sharing relating to curriculum.

Specialist Learning Areas

Please note the following changes to reporting for HPE, Music, Performing Arts (Dance & Drama) and Technologies. The Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework outlines the minimum reporting requirements for these learning areas/subjects.

The table further below has the minimum reporting requirement for each learning area/subject and then in bold when we will report to parents in 2024.

Learning in these specialist areas occurs more frequently than assessment and reporting. For example, in Technologies, students will experience learning in design and digital technologies even if they are not being assessed that semester or year.

We have ensured all curriculum elements are being covered as per the requirements from the Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Framework. Please refer to the Year Level Overviews for more information.

Our Yearly Curriculum Overviews are located on our school website at the following link:

https://buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au/curriculum/teaching-and-learning

Kagan Cooperative Learning Workshops

Kagan Australia conducted cooperative learning workshops on the 11^th and 12^th January. We had some teachers attend this very valuable professional development. These dedicated teachers spent two days of their holidays learning new and innovative ways to engage their students with effective and fun pedagogy. We have had many other teachers attend the same PD sessions during their holidays in previous years. Cooperative learning is one of the high impact strategies we observe and give feedback to teachers about, via our collegial engagement observations and coaching.

Below is an excerpt from the ‘frequently asked questions’ section of the Kagan website (link further below):

Kagan Cooperative Learning has been taught for over 20 years and many teachers throughout the world have successfully used the structures to boost test scores, improve student engagement, discipline and student social skills. Dr Spencer Kagan has detailed answers to the most frequently asked questions.

www.kaganaustralia.com.au

Differentiation and Student Data

At the start of each school year, teachers have a detailed excel report with their students’ data from the previous school year. It contains levels of achievement and tracking of summative and diagnostic data. Teachers use this data to cater for our students from the first day. It assists them with differentiating and tracking their students’ progress.

There are three types of assessment:

• Summative – assesses our students based on the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standard (A-E with C standard ‘working at level’); also known as ‘assessment of learning’
• Diagnostic – assesses using data to inform teaching, differentiation and track progress (e.g. reading levels); also known as ‘assessment for learning’
• Formative – occurs during lessons and teachers adjust their teaching during the learning process; used to inform lessons and differentiation; also known as ‘assessment as learning’

Kristie O’Keefe

(Head of Curriculum)

NAPLAN: The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy

There is information below relating to NAPLAN 2024. Students in Years 3 & 5 will sit these tests Wednesday 13^th and Thursday 14^th March (Friday 15^th March for catch-up tests). All tests will be conducted online except for Year 3 writing.

Why do students do NAPLAN?

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in reading, writing, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether our students are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy.

What does NAPLAN assess?

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through their regular school curriculum. All government and non-government education authorities have contributed to the development of NAPLAN materials. Students are assessed on the same literacy and numeracy curriculum content.

What can I do to support my child?

Your support to ensure your child has had a good night’s sleep, substantial breakfast and arrives on-time will assist them on the testing days. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for and students are not expected to do so. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just one part of their school program, and by reminding them on the day to simply do their best.

ACARA does not recommend excessive preparation for NAPLAN or the use of services by coaching providers. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance.

See the types of questions and related functionalities available in the NAPLAN Online assessment: nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Please see the NAPLAN parent information via the link below:

https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/naplan-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

Typing Skills

Typing skills are important to develop for our students. While our classroom teachers support the development of improving typing skills at school, it would be wonderful if you were able to continue such practice at home (if possible). Speed and accuracy are skills which require development over time.

The following website is a free typing program, which will support your child’s development of typing skills.

https://www.typing.com

Kristie O’Keefe

(Head of Curriculum)

Library Lounge

Library Lounge

Welcome to the Library Lounge where we will keep you up to date with library news.

Borrowing of library books will start in Week 3. Books can be borrowed in library class time or the following times (unless staff members are in a meeting):

                               Monday to Friday         8.30am to 8.45am (before school)

                               Monday to Friday         11.05am to 11.30am (first break)

                               Monday to Friday        3pm to 3.15pm (after school)

All students should have received the first Book Club catalogue for Term 1. All orders are to be placed online and ordering must be completed by Friday 9^th February. A percentage of each order is credited to the library to purchase new books. If your child did not receive a catalogue, please click onto the following link:

                                                                    LOGIN (scholastic.com.au)

Happy reading,

Library Team

Buderim Badges and Awards

Cumulative Awards

At Buderim Mountain State School, we have a Cumulative Awards system which continues throughout each student’s time with us.  These awards are presented on each year level’s parade.

1. Achievement Awards are presented each week on parade to students in each class for a range of significant achievements, based on our three school expectations of; Be a Learner; Be Safe and Be Respectful, or PERKS. Teachers choose these awards based on classroom achievement.
2. 3 Achievement Awards = 1 Principal’s Award Students are asked to submit their 3 achievement awards (they don’t have to all be received in 1 year) into the box outside the Health Room and they will then be presented with a Principal’s Award on parade. Students will continue receiving achievement awards throughout their years. Awards should be submitted by the Wednesday in the week prior to the Principal Award presentation (i.e. by the Wednesday in Week 4 if the awards are being presented in Week 5).
3. 3 Principal’s Awards = 1 Banner Students are asked to submit their 3 Principal’s Awards into the box outside the Health Room and they will then be presented with a Buderim Banner on parade.
4. 2 Banners = 1 Medallion Students are asked to submit their 2 banners into the box outside the Health Room and they will then be presented with a medallion on parade.

QParents

Our school has been using QParents in recent years for all year levels. All new families should have received an email inviting you to register for QParents.  If you have not received this email, please check your spam or junk box, and if you cannot find the email, please contact the school office so we can assist.  In order to register for QParents, you will require the regular 100 points of ID.  Attached to this newsletter is an outline of the types of ID accepted. QParents is a simple way to pay for any school excursions or fees without having to send money or paperwork back to the school. Parents can also gain an update on their child’s attendance and submit absence information. Finally, parents can update personal details automatically and students’ past report cards can be accessed via QParents. If you have not received an invitation, please advise us immediately.

Parades

Parades will continue each week at the following times with parents welcome to attend:

• Tuesday         Prep & Year 1   2:20pm
• Wednesday       Year 2 & 3      2:20pm
• Thursday        Year 4          2:20pm
• Friday          Year 5 & 6      2:20pm

Parades include the presentation of weekly awards, messages and occasional performances.

Principal’s certificates, banners and medallions are usually presented twice per term. Any awards that are submitted by the Wednesday in the week prior to the dates shown below will be presented on these parades:

Week 5                     20 February to 23 February

Week 10                   26 March to 28 March    (Yr 5 nd 6 will have Principal awards on Friday 22 March, as                                              Friday 29 March is a public holiday)

Absence Text Messaging System

All Queensland public schools are required to implement a text messaging system to follow up on unexplained absences. Effectively, if a child has not arrived at school and a parent has not informed the school, it is a requirement for the school, to send a text message requesting a reason for the absence on a daily basis.

We ask that parents assist by ensuring all absences are explained on a daily basis. From time to time, we predict that we may make some errors with texts and ask for your support as we fulfil this process. An example might be that a child is at a music camp and the staff member marking the roll may not have recalled this and the child is marked as an unexplained absence. It would be appreciated if parents can still respond by text to let us know. While we will aim to not have any errors, with over 1100 students at our school, this may occur occasionally.

The following options are currently in place to contact the school regarding absences with QParents being the preferred option. To avoid unexplained absences, please report the absence before 8:00 am.

• QParents: https://qparents.qld.edu.au/   This is our preferred method to report reasons for absences to the school.
• Student Absentee Call Line (5477 2760)

Emails and Notes: We are aware that absences can be reported via emails and notes, but we encourage parents to use QParents. Emails and notes can be processed, but are often delivered at varying times or double-handled by teachers and other staff. This may cause a time-lag in accurate roll marking. Thank you for your assistance with this.

School Zone Safety

With school back for 2024, we need to keep safety top-of-mind when travelling through active school zones and around our school community.

School zone times have been standardised in Queensland to help motorists remember when to slow down. The standard operating times for most school zones in Queensland are 7–9am and 2–4pm, with some operating all day between 7am–4pm.

Speeding remains a significant concern, contributing to fatalities and injuries, and police will be on the lookout for speeding motorists. Keeping below the signed speed limit in school zones helps keep everyone safe. This simple adjustment may have minimal impact on travel time but has the potential to significantly contribute to saving lives.

Children's crossings are identified by children's crossing flags, displayed near crossings before and after school hours. 

When the crossing is supervised, you, as a motorist, must:

• Wait until all pedestrians, bicycle riders, or personal mobility device riders have crossed the road and the crossing supervisor has returned to the footpath.
• Abide by the direction given by the School Crossing Supervisor.

Please keep our children safe by staying alert, slowing down and obeying our school crossing supervisors who are there to help kids cross the road safely.  

You can also help children become more road safety aware by:

• Showing them how to look for vehicles coming in and out of driveways and discourage them from playing behind parked cars, or with toys or balls when walking to school. 
• Ensuring your child knows the safest route to and from school. This is usually the way with the least traffic and the fewest roads to cross and teach your child to always walk on footpaths. 
• Showing your child how to cross at traffic lights when the green 'walk' sign is showing at pedestrian crossings when vehicles have stopped and at supervised school crossings when the supervisor has signaled it is safe to do so. 
• Accompanying children when walking or riding to school until they are old enough to understand road safety (usually around 10 years or older). 
• Teaching your child if they catch the bus to never cross in front of or behind a bus; wait until the bus goes before crossing the road. 
• Making sure wheeled devices (bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or rollerblades) used to travel to school are well maintained and that the appropriate protective and safety gear (for example, helmet, visible clothing, knee and elbow pads) are used. 

Visit the Street Smarts website for more information about what to do at pedestrian and children crossings.

Staffing Update

Please be aware that the following staff will be replaced while they are on leave in the coming weeks:

School Student Broadband Initiative – Australian Government

To boost educational opportunities and narrow the digital divide, families without home internet are encouraged to apply for the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI). Access to internet at home can support children to build their digital skills and participate in a world that is more reliant on digital technology.

The Australian Government is supporting the National Broadband Network (NBN) to implement the SSBI to provide free home internet for one year for up to 30,000 unconnected families across Australia with school aged students.

To be eligible for SSBI, a family must:

• Have a child living at home that is enrolled in a Queensland state school in 2023.
• Not have an active internet service at home. Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility.
• Be referred by a nominating organisation such as the Department of Education (the department).
• Agree their child has access to a device and has the digital skills to use the internet safely or will be supervised.
• Live in a premises that can access the NBN via a standard connection – this will be checked by NBN.

Referral through the department

The department is pleased to support the nomination of families for the SSBI. If you would like to apply for the SSBI please use the link or QR code below.

Online application:     SSBI Family application form             QR Code:

From the Office

Upcoming events and payment dates

Please make sure that you have paid the amounts in full by the due dates. Payment for excursions can be made via:

• QParents
• BPoint
• Payment window- open Wednesday 8:00am-9:30am

QParents Frequently Asked Questions

How much do I owe?

• QParents enables you to view invoices as well as details of paid invoices. Click the ‘To Pay’ checkbox next to any invoice to make a payment.
• Note: If you are viewing the payment screen within the combined student view (accessed through the Payments tile on your home screen), click on the student name which will navigate you to the individual student profile where you can make a payment.
• Watch this video for an overview of the payments screen and making online payments in QParents.

If I pay an invoice does that mean my child can attend the event?

• You will also need to give your ‘consent’ (permission) for your child to attend. In the past, we have sent out permission letters however we now use QParents to gain your consent. It is important that you provide consent (your permission for your child to attend the event) as well as pay for the invoice.
  
  

I notice QParents has ‘Consent Management’. What is this?

• Consent Management is a new feature in QParents. It enables you to provide consent (permission) for events/excursions. This is a great feature as it removes the paperwork previously required for every school event your child would attend (please note, you still need to pay for the event as well as give your consent- two part process).

2024 SRS

The Student Resource Scheme (SRS) includes curriculum resources that are not funded by the department (such as text books, equipment for student's personal use and items used by the student in the classroom). The SRS provides parents with a convenient and cost-effective alternative to individually sourcing curriculum resources and educational programs (i.e. Mathletics, Mathseeds, Reading Eggs).

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 scheme’s operation, resource inclusions and participation fees were approved by the school’s P&C Association at the meeting held on 10 October 2023.

Resource Inclusions

• All resources included in the SRS are detailed in the attached 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
• All invoicing for the 2024 SRS has been issued via QParents

2024 Facilities Hire

State schools are important community assets. The department recognises the valuable role that schools and school infrastructure play in the life of local communities. A school’s priority function is delivering educational programs during the school day. However, outside of school hours schools can be used to facilitate and promote the use of their facilities by members of the local community.

Buderim Mountain State School invites members of the local community to complete an application for 2024 Hire Agreements. The following areas will be offered for hire:

• Library courtyard
• Main oval
• Pool (please see further details below)
• Tennis courts (or also known as the netball courts)

At this stage, the new hall will not be offered for hire until Semester 2 (further details will be supplied via the school newsletter). To ensure you are kept up to date with hiring opportunities, please register to receive the school newsletter via email.

How do I go about applying to hire school facilities?

1. Review the 2024 Hire fees/charges schedule (see below)
2. Complete an Expression of Interest
3. Attach all supporting documentation requested in the Expression of Interest (including

   Community User Risk Assessment)  

4. The principal (and/or delegate) will consider all applications (please make sure you complete all required sections as this forms part of the considerations) and successful hirers will be notified via email

Pool hire

The department's hire agreements differ a little for pools. Pool hire agreements are over a three year period (the start date and the end date must not exceed three years after the commencement date) and require a tender process.  If you are interested in hiring the pool, a Request to Quote will need to be completed and emailed to info@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au

If you have any other questions, please phone 5477 2777.

BMSS P & C News

Events and Special Dates

Term 1 Working Bee– Sunday 4 February

We warmly invite you to our Term 1 Working Bee this weekend, where an amazing group of volunteers gather to help tidy and care for our school gardens.

All BMSS students and family members are welcome, and we’d be most grateful for your help. Please consider donating your time as our usual Working Bees will be reduced in frequency this year, meaning we need all the help we can get this Sunday!

• Where: Meet in the covered area between the Hall and Year 2/3 playground
• When: Sunday 4 February from 8am
• Food: Morning tea served thanks to the P&C and Banksia Cafe
• What to bring: Please bring gloves, tubs, buckets, shovels, rakes and any other gardening items you have handy
• Student recognition: Each BMSS student who attends a working bee with a volunteering adult will receive a certificate of participation. Once a student has obtained 3 working bee certificates of participation, they can submit these to the Health Room in order to receive a BMSS Service Award which can be sewn onto their school uniform

No RSVP necessary. All welcome, including siblings.  We hope to see you there!

New School Hall Opening Planning Committee

Our new $8.5 million school hall is well underway and on track for completion by April 2024. You can trust we will be celebrating the opening in a grand way! To be part of the planning committee for our School Hall Opening event in 2024, please contact secretary@bmsspandc.org

Welcome Movie Night – Friday 23 February

We invite all our BMSS families and friends to enjoy a warm summer evening under the stars at our Welcome Movie Night. This is an event not to be missed! Here are the details:

• When: Saturday 23 February
• Time: Gates open at 5.30pm, movie starts at 6.30pm
• Where: Located on our school oval
• Cost: Free event courtesy of the P&C

Buderim Lions will be setting up the trusted BBQ, serving their popular sausage sizzle and delicious wraps with chicken tenderloin and bacon! Our Banksia Cafe will be stocked up with snacks - what’s better than fresh butter popcorn as you watch a fantastic movie under the stars!!!

We're all for the more, the merrier, so feel free to bring along as many family and friends as you’d like. The movie that will be screening will be announced on our socials soon, so stay tuned! We look forward to seeing you there.  

P&C Meeting & 2024 AGM – Join Us

We'd love for you to join us for our next P&C Meeting and 2024 AGM. Help us plan events and initiatives, discuss important decisions and developments at BMSS, and enjoy each other’s company over refreshments. All welcome!

• When: Tuesday 5 March from 5:30pm
• Where: BMSS School Library
• RSVP: secretary@bmsspandc.org

We hope to see you there.

UNIFORM SHOP NEWS, OPENING HOURS & BACK-TO-SCHOOL 2024

It’s the backbone of the P&C and the start of every new student’s journey at BMSS – the Uniform Shop! Here’s what you need to know for the Uniform Shop in 2024:

• Opening hours: Open every Monday of the school term from 8:15am-10am and Every Thursday of the school term 2.15-3.30pm
• Flexischools allows for ordering 24/7, with classroom delivery Mondays and Thursdays (‘Shop’ icon on app or website)
• Got questions? Visit the Uniform Shop page on our website (https://www.bmsspandc.org/uniform-shop) or email uniform@bmsspandc.org
• Have uniforms that no longer fit? The Uniform Shop gratefully accepts good-quality donations of uniform items for the preloved racks. Consider dropping items off on ‘Donation Day’ (Friday 10 February – see below), or into the Uniform Shop anytime during opening hours
• Donation Day is the end week 3 – help us fill the Preloved Racks! Scrummage through the kids’ cupboards and dig out all those old shirts, shorts and skorts! If they are in good condition, pop them in a bag and look for the donation tubs in the undercover area outside tuckshop and in the Prep eating area.

BANKSIA CAFE NEWS

There’s always a lot going on at Banksia Cafe, but we are particularly excited for the huge array of delicious food items, special menus and massive expansion of the Banksia Café service in 2024! Read on for all the details:

Now Open Every Weekday

By popular request, the Banksia Cafe is now open every weekday of the school term! Woo hoo! That means first and second break every day, plus Sushi on Wednesdays AND weekly specials every Thursday and Friday. Please note that sushi orders are due by 7pm every Tuesday prior to Sushi Day, whilst Chef’s Special orders and items from the regular menu are due by 8:30am each day. Snacks can also be purchased by children over the counter during break times.

To view the Banksia Café menus, opening hours, special event menus, order links, weekly specials and volunteering opportunities, head to our new and revamped website: www.bmsspandc.org.

Term 1 Specials Menu

A fabulous range of weekly specials are available for Term 1, first break Thursdays and Fridays. Check out the options on the menu below and head to Flexischools to order.

Back-To-School Special Menu – Wednesday  21 February

To celebrate the new school year, the Banksia Café is offering a special Back-To-School Menu for staff and students in week 5! With delicious treats and a value-packed Meal Deal, order from the menu by Monday 19 February at 12pm to give yourself a mid-term break from lunchbox duty and to treat your child alongside their peers. The Back-To-School menu (and all our special menu and regular ordering options from the Banksia Café) can also be viewed at: https://www.bmsspandc.org. Please place your order online via www.flexischools.com.au (or follow the links on our website).

Community Kitchen Cook Up and Donations

Our Community Kitchen initiative works incredibly hard for Buderim families, not only serving free breakfast to students every Tuesday morning of the school term, but also hosting regular ‘cook-ups’ to prepare meals for those in need.

We’d love a hand at our upcoming Community Kitchen Cook-Up if you can spare the time! Check out the details below and consider lending a hand if you can – all you need is a pair of closed in shoes and a big heart 😊

• When: Saturday 24 February
• Time: 8am - 12pm or however long you can spare
• Sign Up to help: Go to https://signup.com/go/gKtUDaT
  
  

Unable to assist on the day? Perhaps you can help by donating some food items for the meals. These can be dropped off to the Banksia Café anytime. Here are the items we’d be incredibly grateful for:

• Tin tomato crushed
• Tomato paste
• Jasmine Rice
• Basmati Rice
• Pasta (spirals, penne or macaroni)
• Lasagne sheets
• Cereals (weetbix, sultana bran, rice bubbles, oats)
• Vegemite
• Squeeze honey
• Long Life milk 1lt
• Gift vouchers for supermarkets, to purchase meat and fresh produce

Breakfast Club Resumes in 2024

In the true spirit of BMSS, we are giving back with the gift of food! In 2024 we are proud to resume Breakfast Club, an initiative of The Banksia Café and Community Kitchen. Collectively, and with your support, every Tuesday morning during the school term we serve breakfast to students free of charge from 8am. Because breakfast matters! All students are welcome, and parents do not need to accompany their child.

OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS CARE (OSHC)

Our incredible team at Buderim OSHC are off to a roaring start to the year, with the new extra-curricular activities program proving to be an absolute HIT! Thank you to all the families who have booked their child to participate in the dance or taekwondo lessons; we have been thrilled by your response and delighted the lessons booked out so quickly!

If you are looking for either casual or ongoing care for your BMSS student before or after school, visit the Buderim OSHC webpage (www.buderimoshc.org) for information regarding the OSHC service and enrolment, or email: oshc@bmsspandc.org.

Volunteer Opportunities

BMSS P & C Socials

Follow Us on Socials

Stay up-to-date and make sure you follow us on social media.  Our accounts always have lots of great information.

Access our website and socials using the links below: