2025 - Term 1, Week 2 Newsletter

Calendar

Welcome Back

Welcome back to the 2025 school year. This term is ten weeks in length and concludes on Friday April 4. 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 1170 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 6:30am each day for any family who need to drop their children at school before 8 am. Students should not arrive at school prior to 8am unsupervised.

Mr Jenkins

Principal

NEW STAFF

This year we welcome the following new teachers who have transferred to our school:

• Sandy Blooranta       (Year 1)
• Emily Chester            (Year 1/2)
• Kait Burton                 (Year 3)
• Josh McMullen          (Year 5)
• Sarah Tully                 (Hub)
• Carley Noke                (Year 5)

I’m sure our Buderim community will join me in welcoming our new staff members in 2025.

As most existing families would be aware, our final allocation of teaching staff occured on Day 8 (Thursday, 6 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.  We would like to thank all parents for their understanding with the creation of two new classes this year, 1/2EC and 5CN.

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                    Years 2 and 3 - (Monday to Thursday)
• Mrs Scheltinga (Deputy Principal)               Year 4 and Aspire+
• 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 2025 include:

• Japanese                      Mr Starr-Thomas
• Music                            Mr Jackson and Ms Lauren Croxton (Friday)
• Performing Arts       Mrs McConnel and Ms Lauren Croxton (Friday)
• Health & PE                Mr Hawes (Yr 3, 4, 5 & 6),  Ms Hemmingway (Prep, Yr 1 & 2) and Mrs Briggs (3/4HM,                                               2RK and 1/2EC)

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 attached for your information.

Sun safety in our School

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.  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.

2025 Student Leaders

During the last few weeks of the 2024 school year, we finalised the selection process for our 2025 Student Captains and Vice Captains.  A big thank you to all students who applied for positions.  It was a challenging selection process due to the quality and calibre of our applicants. Our School Captains for 2025 are Max McDonald and Emma Rudd, and Vice Captains are Ned Bourke and Isla Jones.  Congratulations, we are confident you will be amazing leaders for our school.  Our student leader induction is being held in the school hall on Friday February 14 at 9am.

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 your child’s attendance and submit absence information. Finally, parents can update personal details automatically and student's past report cards can be accessed via QParents. If you have not received an invitation, please advise us immediately.

If you are an existing parent and have yet to register for QParents, please either call the office on 54772777 or email info@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au

To register for Qparents, you will need to follow 4 easy steps

1. Check that you have received your unique invitation code sent to your email. This also includes your child’s EQ ID number (if you haven’t received this, email our HR team to assist via resources@buderimmountainss.eq.edu.au),
2. You need an active email account
3. Access to 100 points of ID to verify your identity. (See table below)
4. Go to https://qparents.qld.edu.au and register

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:

Welcome Morning Tea and Working Bee

Tuesday 28 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.

Our first working bee for the year was held Sunday 2 February from 8am.  Helping with our working bee is a great way to meet new families, while also contributing to maintaining our wonderful gardens.  Our amazing P&C will continue to support this event through providing a shared morning tea.  Thank you to all families who came and assisted.

Sporting News

Junior and Senior Swimming Carnivals

What a sizzling couple of days we had for our carnivals in the last week of the 2024 school year! The temperatures may have soared, but that didn’t stop our students from diving into the action at the junior and senior swimming carnivals. Congratulations to all the students in Years 3-6 who participated and showed great resilience, adapting to the heat while making a splash in the pool. Your determination and team spirit were truly impressive!

The Junior Swimming Carnival was a fantastic day of fun and community spirit, with students participating enthusiastically, with cheers ringing out as everyone supported their peers. A special mention goes to those who bravely challenged themselves in the 50m events—your effort was inspiring! Thank you to the parents who came along to cheer and support. It was a wonderful celebration of participation, resilience, and school pride.

It was wonderful to witness the level of maturity demonstrated by all our senior students during the warm-up laps. Their focus and discipline set a great example for everyone, and it was clear that they were ready to give their best in the pool.

The participation in the various events—freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and the individual medley—was nothing short of fantastic. Our swimmers showed impressive skill and determination, making the competition exciting and memorable. A huge thank you to all the students for their efforts and for entering as many races as possible. A special shoutout goes to our amazing group of senior helpers and Mr Neighbour. Your support during the 25m events made a huge difference, and we couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for stepping up and lending a hand!

A special mention goes to David and Andrew, our dedicated grounds staff, whose excellent organisation ensured that the pool area was set up and ready for action. Their hard work behind the scenes was integral to the smooth running of the carnival.

Buderim certainly has some very talented swimmers, and it's exciting to see the level of skill and sportsmanship on display. Congratulations to everyone involved—what an outstanding day in the pool!

The overall champion house for 2024 was Yuamala just scraping in front of Cheropin.

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

Nambour District Swimming Selections

We are excited to announce that the times collected from each student for the 50m events at the recent swimming carnival will be compared against the qualifying times for the 2025 Nambour District Swimming Trial. Students will be notified early in 2025 if they have been selected to represent Buderim Mountain State School. Please note that a maximum of two students per age group, for each swimming style and distance, will be selected to participate.

For those students who participate in a swimming squad and received a placing ribbon at our carnival, there is also the opportunity to submit times for the 100m, 200m, and 400m events in various strokes. If the times are competitive, students may have the chance to participate at both the district and regional trials.

If your child would like to submit these additional times, please email them to Miss Hemingway by Wednesday 12 February on rmhem0@eq.edu.au so the team can be finalised. Before sending, kindly refer to the qualifying times (which can be seen below) to see if your child’s times are very close to meeting the standards.

We look forward to seeing our talented swimmers represent our school at the upcoming trial on February 28.

The AFL cup is coming to Buderim

This coming Monday morning, from 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM, the prestigious AFL Premiership Trophy will be on display in our school hall. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to get up close and personal with the iconic trophy!
If you'd love to snap a photo with the trophy, simply head to the hall during the allocated time. Please make sure to enter in an orderly manner so everyone has a chance to enjoy the moment. And here’s the best part – if you’re a fan of the Lions, feel free to wear your Lions jersey while you are having your photo taken to show your team spirit! (Students will need to wear their full school uniform for the school day).
Don’t miss out on this special occasion and a chance to take home a lasting memory with the AFL Premiership Trophy!

Grace B - National APDA Champion

Towards the end of the 2024 school year, Grace B attended the National APDA Championship Competition, competing again dancers from across the country.  Congratulations Grace for being awarded as the National Champion of 9 year old’s.  What a wonderful achievement.

Neave T - National Champion Acrobatics Duo

During December and the Summer vacation period, one of our students Neave T competed in the La Folie National competition.  This is an ultimate annual national competition for aerial artists across Australia and Internationally. Congratulations Neave for being awarded National Champion for Aerial Skills for your age group.  Early January saw Neave travel to the Gold Coast to compete in the National Bend the Air Grand final competition where she performed her Aerial Lyra, Aerial Silks & Acrobatics Duo. Neave perfumed beautifully on stage and was awarded judge's choice for her silks performance and awarded 2nd as national runner up in the Mini Stars Lyra Category and 🏆1st prize as National Champion Acrobatics Duo for her age group. What an impressive achievement Neave!

Term 1 Surfing

Surfing begins on Friday of Week 3 with 30 eager students signed up and ready to tackle the waves. The 30 spots were again snapped up quite quickly with a number of students who missed out placed on a waiting list for Term 4.

Photos of this term’s students catching some awesome waves will be in the next newsletter.

Mr. J

School Photos

Please be aware that school photos will be held on Wednesday 5 and 12 March. All sibling photos, and photos of class groups and portraits for children in Prep to Year 5 will be held on Wednesday March 5.  Year 6,Studnet leader groups and catch up portraits will occur on Wednesday March 12.  All students will need to be in full school uniform (not sporting house uniforms) on this day.  Please see the flyer below for information on how to order your photos.  All photo orders are to be made online, via the information provided in the attached flyer.

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 workdays (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.

Late Arrivals and Early Departures

To ensure the safety of our students, we kindly remind you of the procedures for dropping off late students and picking up children early.

• Late Arrivals: If your child arrives late to school, please bring them to the Health Room to sign them in. This helps us keep accurate attendance records and ensures your child is properly accounted for.
• Early Pickups: If you need to pick up your child before dismissal, please go to the Health Room and bring a valid photo ID. The Health Room staff will call your child’s classroom, and your child will meet you there.

These procedures help us maintain a safe and organized environment for all students. Thank you for your cooperation!

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

To start the year, we have had feedback from community members and our current parents in relation to the following:

• Ensuring the driver remains in the vehicle at all times when dropping off and picking up students in the Elizabeth Street Stop, Drop and Go Zone. There are 6 x 2 minute zones in Elizabeth Street where the driver must remain in the vehicle as well as other regulated parking along the street.
• Only crossing at the lights when the green walking image is displayed. Please do not cross at crossings when the red walking image is displayed.
• Only parking legally around the school - all parking is well signposted and will show drivers when and where you can park. There are a number of cameras installed on Main Street, Elizabeth Street and Clithero Avenue, which can result in parking fines issued by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council if parked illegally.
• Not parking on private property or in front of driveways (private businesses, church grounds, private residential properties etc)
• Only crossing at the lights on Gloucester Road – please ensure you walk up to the Main Street lights to cross Gloucester Road if using this exit to the school.

Our students learn from adults modelling how to follow safety rules outlined in the information above. We appreciate all parents and carers being good role models to our children by assisting with this.

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. 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 1170 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.

PERKS Project

This year we will again be continuing our social emotional learning program, The PERKS Project, as an important part of our curriculum from Prep to Year 6.  The name PERKS represents each of the focus areas:

P- positivity

E- empathy

R- resilience

K- kindness

S- self

The word ‘perks’ is positive and inspires confidence, which is really what we are aiming to achieve. The word ‘project’ has connotations of being more fluid and evolving to cater for the needs of our students.

Mrs Brennan will continue to build on the following topics with all P-6 classes throughout the school year with concepts being reinforced in each classroom.

The program includes the following:

1. UNDERSTANDING SELF: Meeting my basic needs, Being grateful, Resilience, Positive self-talk and Growth Mindset
2. UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS & THE IMPACT ON MYSELF, OTHERS AND LEARNING: Brain Science, Self-regulation, Mindfulness, Coping Strategies
3. UNDERSTANDING BEHAVIOUR & THE IMPACT ON SELF, OTHERS AND LEARNING: Behaviour Choices, Decision Making & Goal Setting
4. DEVELOPING POSITIVE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: Making & Keeping friends, Bucket Filling, Supporting Others, Protective Behaviours

These topics will be the same in each year level across the school and simply delivered in an age appropriate context. There will be a continued focus on developing a common language that students will take with them from year to year.

We will cover two topics each term with a PERKS lesson and follow up in the classroom.  Our first PERKS lessons will occur on 10 and 11 March, with the focus on how to create SMART goals and Kindness.

Chappy News

Through our school communities’ generosity, late last year we were able to donate over 500kgs of non-perishable food to The Shack and St Mark’s pantry. The effort was outstanding. Thank you so much for your generous giving and the impact and benefit your generosity has on the wider community.

I really love the way our school community has a positive attitude of service to others, and through this, our Chaplaincy Program was able to provide 17 Hampers to families in our school community at Christmas time.  All these resources came from community groups at Buderim who all have a heart to serve. I am very grateful to serve as a Chaplain at this school and helping create a sense of belonging for all our students and their families.

There are always opportunities to serve along the Chaplaincy Program. One of them is volunteering to help out at Breakfast club with serving and clearing away. It is a buzz of activity and such a fun way to get to know others. Please contact the school office or email me on ahoff73@eq.edu.au if you can help out.

Welcome to all our new families – I often say to new students “there are no strangers in our classes, only friends you haven’t met yet.” I am looking forward to getting to know as many new families to our school as possible throughout the term.  If I can help in any way, please contact me through the school office.

STEM Club News

STEM Club (formerly Robotics Club) will start up next week (Week 3). Students have had the opportunity to sign up this week for one of the three available slots:

• Wednesday morning: 7:45 to 8:20
• Wednesday 2^nd Break: 1.40 to 2.15
• Thursday 2^nd Break: 1.40 to 2.15

Students who attend during the 2^nd break sessions can bring their lunch along with them to eat while participating in the sessions.

Keep an eye out for some photos in future newsletters.

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, even under parent supervision. 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.

Staffing Update:

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

Curriculum Corner

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

Reporting Scales

As per the Department of Education Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Framework Version 9, assessment tasks and academic reporting will have some changes as of 2025. The table below shows the terminology for the five-point scale when grading summative assessment and for report cards.

Specialist Learning Areas

The Specialist subjects taught at Buderim include HPE, Languages, Performing Arts (Music, 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 BMSS will report to parents in 2025.

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. Refer to the Year Level Overviews for more information.

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’

Our Yearly Curriculum Overviews are located on our school website:

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

NAPLAN: The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy

There is information below relating to NAPLAN 2025. Students in Years 3 & 5 will sit these tests Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13March (Friday 14 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

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 Thursday        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 14 February. A percentage of each order is credited to the library to purchase new books. If your child did not receive a catalogue, you can access the catalogue for Term 1 through the following link:

                                                                    LOGIN (scholastic.com.au)

Happy reading,

Library Team

Buderim Badges and Awards

Cumulative Awards

Our school has 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. Due to the time it takes to have medallions engraved, these need to be handed into the Health Room by Monday the week before Principal Awards – Monday week 4 and Monday week 9.

Buderim Badges

As well as our cumulative awards scheme at Buderim, we also present 5 different badges (sew on) to students for the following categories:

Academic:

Years 1 to 4 - 3 ‘A’ achievement ratings on report cards, in the academic subjects, each semester.  Academic subjects are English, Mathematics, Science and HASS.

Years 5 to 6 -  4 ‘A’ achievement ratings on report cards, in the academic subjects, each semester.  Academic subjects are English, Mathematics, Science, HASS and Japanese.

Work Effort:

Students need to receive a Very High (P-2) or Excellent (Years 3-6) Effort rating for all but two subjects reported on within the report card, for the semester.

Service – for helping, leading or teaching others e.g. library, playground, sports equipment, ANZAC day, working bee.

Sport – for representing the school at district, regional, state or national level

Cultural – for representing the school in the areas of Arts and Humanities e.g. performing troupe, orchestra, strings ensemble, Planeteers, Performing Troupe etc.

Parent Chat Group

In Term 3, 2024, we relaunched the Parent Chat Group at a new location (on the verandah at the new hall) on a Wednesday mornings from 8:45am which has proved extremely successful. After a survey with 231 responses, we chose topics of interest to parents and also continued to build connection with parents and staff. Thankyou to everyone who has contributed to such a worthwhile and beneficial initiative.  In 2025, we are excited to continue going from strength to strength. Hope to see you there.

Successes in 2024

• Total number of attendees:  118
• Current families attending:  57
• New families attending:  63
• 10 topics presented
• 1 guest speaker
• 3 Parent Chat 1 page newsletters published and distributed
• Parent Chat Website created and access to resources shared at the sessions https://www.bmsspandc.org/parentchat
• 4 group invitations - New families, Prep and Yr 1 parents, Celebration

BMSS Parent Chat Team

Parades

Parades will continue each week, in our new school hall, 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                      25 to 28 February 

Week 10                   1 to 4 April

School Zone Safety

With school back for 2025, 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. 

Please see the attached flyers for additional information on road safety around schools or visit the Street Smarts website for more information about what to do at pedestrian and children crossings.

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).

2025 SRS

The Student Resource Scheme (SRS) includes curriculum resources that are not funded by the department (such as text books, equipment for students' 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 19 November 2024.

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 2025 SRS has been issued via QParents

2025 Facility Hire

If you are interested in hiring our facilities (outside of school hours) in 2025, please complete an Expression of Interest.  Facilities that are available include: oval, pool, library courtyard, hall and the tennis courts.

BMSS P & C News

P & C Events and Special Dates

The Neon Disco

Get your glow on and find your dancing feet for a fun-filled Neon Disco at BMSS this February! This is a great opportunity for students and parents alike to get together in a fun-filled environment to welcome in the new school year 🥳

🎉Date: Thursday 20 February 2025

🕺 Time (Junior): Junior Disco (P-2) 5pm – 6pm

⚡️Time (senior): Senior Disco (3-6) 6:15 – 7:15 pm

💃Where: BMSS new school hall (entry via Main Street only)

🎶 Price: $5 entry for students, adults free

To learn more and to purchase tickets, head to: https://www.bmsspandc.org/disco

Please note: Must pre purchase tickets - physical (printed) tickets will not be required on the day, but names will be marked off on entry.

Food will be available to purchase on the night (view the menu on the Disco webpage).

Volunteers are required to make it happen for the kids - please contact Rachel at admin@bmsspandc.org if you can help out.

We can't wait to see you there!

Back In Time Trivia Night

Themed "Back In Time", the BMSS Trivia Night on 22 March 2025 is an opportunity to celebrate the 150th anniversary of BMSS while dressing-up, testing your general knowledge and trivia facts, and enjoying good food amongst the school community!

You'll also be helping to raise money for Chappy's fund. This includes programs, resources, and initiatives that directly support the welfare and wellbeing of BMSS students, families, and teachers. 

Tickets are $55 each or $500 for a table of 10.​

Buy your tickets now at: https://www.bmsspandc.org/trivianight

​Dinner is included - view the menu on the Trivia Night webpage. Drinks are available (at extra cost).

​Further enquiries and bequests, please contact the BMSS P&C Operations Manager, Rachel O'Brien, on email: admin@bmsspandc.org

Mother’s Day Stall

The iconic Mother’s Day Stall is coming in May. If you are interested in being a stockist at the stall, please email Margie at marketing@bmsspandc.org

Uniform Shop News

Opening Hours 2025

It has been a very busy time in the Uniform Shop, and we have enjoyed meeting many new families.

Our regular opening hours are as follows:

Monday morning 8.15-10am

Thursday afternoon 2.15-3.30pm

Uniforms can also be ordered anytime via Flexischools (desktop or app), with delivery to student classrooms on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Second Hand Uniforms

We are grateful for the many donations received over the back-to-school period – there must have been a lot of wardrobe clearing happening during the holidays! Our pre-loved section is looking very healthy as a result. Please feel welcome to browse our second-hand racks, located just inside the shop entrance - most items priced at $5. Uniform donation bins are located outside the shop during opening hours, and at OSHC. Your donations help us to help others, keep our uniforms sustainable, and raise funds for reinvestment back into our school.

Senior Polos

Due to demand and quicker production times, we are now able to open a second pre-order for senior shirts with our supplier. If you missed out on ordering, would like an additional shirt or another size, orders will be reopened on Flexischools until 6pm Wednesday 12th February. Please check sizing guide carefully before ordering. Delivery is estimated 4-5 weeks after orders close. Please note that senior polos are an optional addition to the regular uniform and regular polos can continue to be worn in Year 6.

Arts Polos

Pre-orders for Arts Polos are now open on Flexischools. We will be offering 2 pre-order periods for Arts Polos this year, as ensembles are finalised. Arts Polos are an optional addition to the regular uniform, for students involved in instrumental music, rock band, choir, dance or drama.

For uniform questions or assistance, please contact Belinda on uniform@bmsspandc.org.

Banksia Cafe News

Half Price 12 Ounce Coffee via online order in Week 3!

The Banksia Café is proud to serve some of Buderim’s BEST barista-coffee and specialty teas every weekday of the school term in 2025 from 7am-2:15pm daily. Set amongst the iconic BMSS pine forest, it’s the perfect place to grab a cuppa on your way to work, or to sit with friends before or after school drop-off and pick-up.

To help you save and enjoy some caffeinated bliss, for one week only you can enjoy a whopping 50% discount! This special applies strictly to orders for 12-ounce coffees placed via the Bankisa Café App using code: COFFEE50 from Monday 10 February 2025 until Friday 14 February 2025 only.

Term 1 Specials Menu

A fabulous range of weekly specials are available for Term 1 from Banksia Cafe, available for order on first break Thursdays and Fridays. Check out the options on the menu below, download the menu online (visit https://www.bmsspandc.org/banksia-cafe) and head to Flexischools to order.

Community Kitchen Cook-Up

The BMSS Community Kitchen initiative works to support families in our school and wider community and to provide for those suffering hardship. From serving free breakfast to students every Tuesday morning of the school term, to hosting regular ‘cook-ups’ to prepare meals for those in need, the Community Kitchen is all about showing love and support through food, altruism and genuine care.

We’d love a hand at our upcoming Community Kitchen Cook-Ups 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: Sunday 16 February 2025 and Sunday 10 August 2025

Time: 8am - 11am (or however long you can spare)
Sign Up to help by visiting https://www.bmsspandc.org/communitykitchen or email banksiacafe@bmsspandc.org

Hot Dog Mania

On Tuesday 4 March, BMSS is going into Hot Dog Mania! Both students and staff can enjoy their favourite variety of Hot Dog, including a Classic Dog, a Loaded Dog with bacon, cheese, pickles and mustard, or choose to be cheesy with the all-popular Cheese Dog! Head to Flexischools to make your order by 9am on 1^ March.

Outside School Hours Care

If you are new to the BMSS community, or have new needs for after-hours school care, consider the award-winning Buderim OSHC!

Adam and his team at Buderim OSHC were announced OSHC of the Year in the P&C Annual  Awards for 2024 and are renowned for exceeding standards in all areas of care for children of all ages.  

For more information on Buderim OSHC, or to access programs, forms and links, just head to: www.buderimoshc.org or email: oshc@bmsspandc.org.

JOIN THE TEAM

With the 2025 school year well underway, you have likely faced the unfortunate reality that summer holidays have come to an end!

If you are looking for a new role to fill your days while the kids are at school, why not consider one of the roles available within our school community.

At present we have 1 fabulous role that can fit in with school hours and leave your school holiday periods free to soak up time with your little ones and those you love.

1. P&C TREASURER

Our current P&C Treasurer, Megan Colless, will step down from her role this term after five years of loyal service! Megan has been truly instrumental for the P&C team and BMSS community, and will be very much missed. However, Megan will be on hand to help and advise you if you are keen to step into her shoes in 2025. To learn more about the Treasurer role and to apply, please contact: admin@bmsspandc.org

To stay up to date with jobs available at BMSS, head to: https://www.bmsspandc.org/jobs

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: